Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Winters, Tracey Rae

Titel

A dynamic look at material life: The Charles W. Roberts family, 1848-1890

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

1992

Link zum Volltext

• ProQuest

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The Charles and Martha Roberts family of Chester County, Pennsylvania, were prosperous, respected Quakers and active members of the community. Martha, and her daughters after her, recorded the family's expenditures between 1848 and 1890. An analysis of these records reveals how changes in the family's lifestyle were reflected in their spending patterns. Some of these changes include moving from a farm to a small, but growing town and generational differences when the daughters take over the management of the household. These documents identify what cannot be found in probate or archaeological studies--a cross-section of domestic life at the time of each purchase. This study provides an in-depth look at one family's response to their material needs and how that response was shaped by economic, social and ideological factors. Their story can provide us with information about life cycles and the personal circumstances that influence family life and choice of material goods.