Many different types of objects and documents fall into this category, from keepsakes to personal records to household items. Artifacts can reveal a great deal about an individual, about daily life, and about the broader society. In looking at them, students of history learn to link the personal with the general, to understand how the history of a person may be the history of a people. The very existence and survival of an artifact is significant. Individuals tend to preserve that which has value to them, so we must think about why a particular item was saved when many others were discarded.
For women, many personal artifacts have a sentimental attachment, although other items were saved for practical reasons. Emotion is not a frivolous aspect of history. What people felt is as important as what happened to them or what they believed. Attitudes and values, while quite personal, are formed against the backdrop of a broader context. As women’s environments have changed, so, too, did the items they sought to preserve.
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
Document Study Sheets contain:
- Picture of the primary source
- Background material
- Specific discussion questions related to the primary source
 Select a Document Study Sheet from those listed on the right side of this page.
|
|
