The age of homespun

By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Subjects: New england, economic conditions, American National characteristics, Social conditions, History, New england, history, National characteristics, american, Economic conditions, Textile crafts, Social aspects of Clothing and dress, Textile fabrics, Textile fabrics, history, National characteristics, American, Social aspects of Weaving, Material culture, New england, social conditions, New York Times reviewed, Clothing and dress, Textile fabrics -- Social aspects -- New England -- History -- 19th century., Weaving, Social aspects of Textile fabrics, Social aspects

Description: They began their existence as everyday objects, but in the hands of award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, fourteen domestic items from preindustrial America - ranging from a linen tablecloth to an unfinished sock - relinquish their stories and offer profound insights into our history. In an age when even meals are rarely made from scratch, homespun easily acquires the glow of nostalgia. The objects Ulrich investigates unravel those simplified illusions, revealing important clues to the culture and people who made them. Ulrich uses and Indian basket to explore the uneasy coexistence of native and colonial Americans. A piece of silk embroidery reveals racial and class distinctions, and two old spinning wheels illuminate the connections between colonial cloth-making and war. Pulling these divergent threads together, Ulrich demonstrates how early Americans made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert their identities, shape relationships, and create history.