Home > Women & Babies

Women & Babies

These “image essays” gather together striking images on the same theme from across the books in the exhibit.

American travel narratives, official reports, and geography books all seemed to relish contrasting American against indigenous masculinities, yet they were equally fascinated with the condition of indigenous women around the world. American women — rarely appearing in these books except by implied contrast — were imagined to enjoy an elevated cultural status not possible for indigenous women burdened by babies in exotic carrying devices.

Hover over any image to see source information; right click on any image to see a larger version; look under Research Resources for guides to all images in the digital exhibit.

Charles Wilkes. Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1845. p. 1:339.

Matthew C. Perry. Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan.... Washington DC: A.O.P. Nicholson, 1856. p. 1:134.

Matthew C. Perry. Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan.... Washington DC: A.O.P. Nicholson, 1856. p. 1:141.

Matthew C. Perry. Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan.... Washington DC: A.O.P. Nicholson, 1856. p. 1:394.

Samuel G. Goodrich. A Pictorial History of America; Embracing both the Northern and Southern Portions of the New World. Hartford: House and Brown, 1847. p. 809.

S. Augustus Mitchell. A General View of the World, Comprising a Physical, Political, and Statistical Account of its Grand Divisions, America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceanica, with their Empires, Kingdoms, Republics, Principalities, &amp;c.... Philadelphia: Published by Thomas, Cowperthwait and Co., for James A. Bill, 1847. p. 38.

Walter Colton. Deck and Port; or, Incidents of a Cruise in the United States Frigate Congress to California. With Sketches of Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso, Lima, Honolulu, and San Francisco. New York: A.S. Barnes and Co.; Cincinnati: H.W. Derby and Co., 1850. p. 215.

S. Augustus Mitchell. A System of Modern Geography, Comprising a Description of the Present State of the World and its Five Great Divisions: America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceanica.... Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait and Co., 1844. p. 84.

John Frost. Thrilling Adventures Among the Indians: Comprising The Most Remarkable Personal Narratives of Events in the Early Indian Wars, as well as of Incidents in the Recent Indian Hostilities in Mexico and Texas. Philadelphia: J.W. Bradley, 1851. p. 208.

Elisha Kent Kane. Arctic Explorations: The Second Grinnell Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin, 1853, ’54, ’55. Philadelphia: Childs and Peterson...., 1857. p. 1:366.

John Russell Bartlett. Personal Narrative of Explorations and Incidents in Texas, New Mexico, California, Sonora, and Chihuahua, Connected with the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission, During the Years 1850, ’51, ’52, and ’53. New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1854. p. 2:253.

Harriet Beecher Stowe. First Geography for Children. Boston: Phillips, Sampson and Co., 1855. p. 96.

Samuel G. Goodrich. A History of All Nations, from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time; or, Universal History: in which the History of Every Nation, Ancient and Modern, is Separately Given. New York and Auburn: Miller, Orton and Mulligan, 1856. p. 1:47.

<< SLAVERYCONTINENTAL IDENTITIES >>