As I advised Denise to go get a couple of good history books earlier today, I thought I'd better put "my money were my mouth is," so to speak. So, I drew up a bibliography of several of my favorite history and material culture books in order to share it with the list. I've also annotated the bibliography to give you an idea of what each reference contains. Hope someone finds this useful. Esther Read ________________________________________________ American Craftsmen Arbor, Marilyn. "Tools & Trades of America's Past: The Mercer Museum Collection." Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown. 1993. Includes wonderful drawings of period tools which you may find listed in an ancestor's probate inventory. Birdenbaugh, Carl. "The Colonial Craftsman." Phoenix Books, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1950. Probably one of the seminal works on craftsmen of this period. Very readable and full of information on different trades and life styles. Childbirth Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. "A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary 1785-1812." Vintage Books, New York, 1990. Probably the best book I have ever read. Ulrich uses passages from Martha Ballard's Diary to reconstruct her life as a midwife in Hallowell, Maine. It also includes discussion of the women's economy, weaving and education. There is an equally wonderful video, by the same title, available from PBS. Wertz, Richard W. and Dorothy C. Wertz. "Lying-In: A History of Childbirth in America." New York: Schoken Books, 1977. Picks up the discussion of childbirth were Ulrich's book leaves off and continues into the 20th century. Food and Gardens Noel Hume, Audrey. "Archaeology and the Colonial Gardener." Colonial Williamsburg Archaeological Series No. 7. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, 1988. Small booklet. Includes photographs of period gardening tools, descriptions of common garden plants and herbs used by colonial cooks. Noel Hume, Audrey. "Food." Colonial Williamsburg Archaeological Series No. 9. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, 1978. Small booklet. Descriptions of menus, food preparation and kitchen equipment. Simmons, Amelia. "The American Cookbook: A Facsimile of 'American Cookery,' 1796 by Amelia Simmons." 1984 reprint of the 1958 Oxford University Press Edition. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. A wonderful book with recipes, hints for selecting meats and vegetables, instructions for cooking. This book is the first American-authored cookbook sold in America. Before its publication, cook books were imported from England. General History Brogan, Hugh. "The Penguin History of the United States of America." Penguin Books, London, 1985. Excellant history of the US written by a Brit. Because the author is British, he has a slightly different view of our history than we do. This view point is very refreshing. The book was recently reissued by Penguin. Perret, Geoffry. "A Country Made By War: From the Revolution to Vietnam." Random House, New York, 1989. This is primarily a military history of the United States, but it covers every conflict (large and small) our country was involved in up to Vietnam. Buley, R. Carlyle. "The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840, Volume I." Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1978. Very thorough history of the settlement of the old northwest territory (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan). Many of the people who settled this area were from New Jersey. Material Culture and Lifestyles Deetz, James. "In Small Things Forgotten." Doubleday, Anchor Books, New York, 1977. Short paperback you can read in an evening! This is required reading for my students doing their archaeological field work. It covers ceramics (dishes), houseplans, changes in gravestone styles and a host of other material items. Then Deetz explains how these everyday items mesh together and are used by people to make statements about themselves and their positions in society. Fischer, David Hackett. "Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America." Oxford University Press, New York, 1989. Explores cultural differences between the Puritans, Quakers, Scottish-Irish and other British settlers in America. Fischer also discusses now these cultures have contributed to our contemporary culture. One of the interesting items in each cultural description is his discussion of how names were selected for children and paterns of naming through time. Garrett, Elizabeth Donaghty. "At Home: The American Family 1750-1870." Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York, 1990. Includes excerpts from period diaries and letters. Discusses women's housework and child raising duties. Period paintings, photographs and drawings of American home interiors. Larkin, Jack. "The Reshaping of Everyday Life: 1790-1840." The Everyday Life in America Series, Edited by Richard Balkin. Harper Perennial, New York, 1988. Very readable description of American life between the establishment of the new nation and the beginning of the American Industrial Revolution. Includes discussion of family size, food, clothing, religion, rituals associated with birth, death and marriage, as well as an assortment of other topics. This is one is an series. Other titles cover different periods of our history.