A History of American Childhood

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

School, play and much less work: the idealised childhood is a very separate part of life. But how did it come to be so? And why is this perhaps more pronounced in American society than anywhere else?

Don is joined by Todd Brewster to talk about the creation and possible demise of childhood in the United States, and how we can study it using photographs. Todd's book is ‘American Childhood: A Photographic History’.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The famous five are away on a splendid weekend adventure.
0:03.5	Do we have to go home today?
0:05.5	sighed Anne.
0:06.5	I agree said Dick.
0:08.0	Even Timmy looks sad.
0:09.5	Cheer up everyone.
0:11.5	Beams Julian, I booked long weekend tickets we can return anytime on Monday
0:17.0	Oh you are clever Julian said Anne save over 50% with the long weekend a ticket from Great Western Railway.
0:24.5	Adventures start here.
0:26.0	Selected routes turn supply.
0:27.6	Saving in comparison to an anytime return fare. Try and remember the jungle gym, the slide, the endless infinite swinging, kicking to the sky higher and higher,
0:45.0	then jumping, hands outstretched, realizing last second you called it wrong,
0:50.0	landing face first in the sand.
0:52.0	Laughter, freedom. Skined knees and banged elbows. It's summer
0:57.3	holidays and we've been out all day. And now as golden hour fades to dusk, there's just enough time to jump on bikes and race home for supper before mom shouts your name in the streets.
1:08.0	And tomorrow, same thing again. Or maybe it's the lake, the creek, wherever, whatever.
1:14.0	We'll make plans as we do it without worry, without care,
1:17.0	and best of all, without adults to tell us how.
1:20.0	We got this. We're children.
1:22.0	This is our world. Greetings
1:36.0	listeners, Don Wildman here, and this is American History Hit.
1:40.0	Thanks for popping by.
	...

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