At the beginning of the Civil War, 14 million children lived in the United States, making up more than forty percent of the country’s population. Their voices and experiences are therefore an indispensable part of any holistic understanding of life on the home front. Through primary source materials like diaries, letters, photographs, books, and artifacts, Blockades, Books, and Bassinets illustrates the lives of children of various ages, stages, and locations during this period. From the mundane to the unique challenges of war, these are the stories of Charley, Willie, Nell, Lizzie, and many others. The exhibit features information about drummer boys, schools and learning, games and mischief, as well as illness and mourning.

Images of the exhibit are available from Special Collections on Flickr.

Curator: Karlene Jennings, Director of Development; Exhibit design and installation: Jennie Davy, Burger Archives Specialist; with assistance from James Tolj, History Graduate Student Apprentice, Ashley Irizarry, History Graduate Student Apprentice, Andrew Cavell, Undergraduate Student Assistant, and Jamesha Gibson, Undergraduate Student Assistant.