Why read The End of American Childhood?

Book cover of The End of American Childhood: A History of Parenting from Life on the Frontier to the Managed Child

Book description

The End of American Childhood takes a sweeping look at the history of American childhood and parenting, from the nation's founding to the present day. Renowned historian Paula Fass shows how, since the beginning of the American republic, independence, self-definition, and individual success have informed Americans' attitudes toward children. But…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The End of American Childhood as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Sophie Brickman

Author

Fass is the professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught for thirty-six years, and the author of numerous books on children’s history. This one I found to be particularly illuminating, as she traces the history of American childhood and parenting from the 1700s to today, wrestling with how shifting American notions of independence and success in turn affected how children were viewed, and how parents parented. For any history buff.

From Sophie's list on The best parenting books you actually want to read, whether or not you’re a parent.