Week 3 Assignment: Primary Sources: Family Values: Advice Literature for Parents and Children in the Early Republic

 Victory in the American Revolution created the modern world’s first republic, in which no monarch ruled and “ordinary” people wielded political power. There was no blueprint or model for the young nation to follow–it truly was an experiment in popular government. In the Early Republic and for decades afterwards, many Americans harbored doubts that the young nation would survive. One prominent concern was that the people, now responsible for the political and governmental life of the nation, wouldn’t put their personal ambitions aside to pursue the “common good” necessary for a republic to flourish. 

One way to address this concern involved raising a new generation of young Americans in a manner that nurtured virtue, industry, frugality, trustworthiness, public duty, and piety–all those traits that were deemed a requirement for a republic of the people to function and last for generations more. Hence the proliferation of parental advice literature in the Early Republic, as well as children’s books that aimed to impart those moral habits.

The primary sources for this week come from that advice literature produced in the early 19th century. Sources 1 and 2 are parental advice literature on child rearing, and the Sources 3, 4, and 5 are excerpts from children’s literature. Your goal is to critically analyze the sources and come to conclusions regarding the lessons they impart about raising a child to be a productive member of society in the young nation, and the expected habits and behaviors of children.

• First, watch the introductory video in which I (Dr. McCollom) discuss the background and context of the sources and guide you through the expectations of the assignment: Family Values introductory video – in file section
• Next, read the introduction to the sources, and the sources themselves, here. – chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://brightspace.missouristate.edu/content/enforced/42406-11308-FA24_WP/Family%20Values–Intro%20and%20Sources.pdf
• As you read through the sources, complete this table(in files) and fill in your observations (required; 12 pts.)
• Finally, with those observations you noted in the chart, answer the questions below. Each question is worth 12 pts.
• Total possible points for the assignment: 60 pts.

Questions

Once you’ve read the source material, you have some observations in the chart regarding the ideal, or “perfect,” fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. Use the data you collected to answer the following questions. As always, include specific evidence (details and examples) from the sources to support your analysis, interpretation, and conclusions. Students are graded not necessarily on how “correct” the response is, but whether the response provides evidence from the sources to support its conclusions.

Each response should include specific evidence (examples and details) from the source material, as indicated.

1.    What guidance does The Mother at Home (1833; source 1) provide for parents? In your response, describe the confrontation between the parents and the child—what do the parents want from the child, how does the child respond, and what is the ultimate outcome and lesson for the parent reading this book? Highlight specific examples and details from the source.
2.    Source 2 (The Mother’s Book, 1831) is designed as a guide for mothers in dealing with teenage daughters. What specific advice does this source provide—how should a mother in the Early Republic manage a teenage girl?
3.    Now on to the “ideal” sons and daughters as depicted in the source material. Discuss specific evidence from Source 3 (The New-England Primer, 1807), Source 4 (The Busy Bee, 1831), and Source 5 (The Life of George Washington, 1832)—what characteristics do well-behaved boys and girls exude in these sources? Provide specific examples from each source.
4.    Consider the morals and lessons imparted in Source 4 (The Busy Bee, 1831) and Source 5 (The Life of George Washington, 1832) regarding children’s behavior and relations with their parents. A two-part question:
       a.    What are the takeaways, or lessons to be learned, regarding children’s behavior and moral actions from Source 4 and from Source 5,  in your assessment? Provide specific examples from both sources.
       b.    In what ways do the lessons you identified above compare to the morals or lessons of the books, stories, TV shows, or movies in which you indulged as a child?