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We have begun to collect information on boys' activities over time. We do not know much about the 18th century. There were toys, but mostly home made toys. Sports were not yet well developed, especially in frontier America. Hunting and fishing were popular activities. Most Americans lived in rural areas and this of course affected the activities in which they engaged. Chores on the farm would have been high on he list. Major cjanges occurred in the 19th century. America was still mostly rural at the beginning of the century. This farm chores and hunting and fishing were major activities. The public school system steadily increased in importance, so school became increasingly important. Urbanization and industrialization brought important changes. Pets were brought into the home for the first time by average families. We see more manufactured toys, both wood and cast iron. Hoops were popular throughout the 19th century. Sports grew in importance and were very popular by the end of the century. The 20th century brought more change. And we know a great deal about these changes thanks to the home snapshots made possible by the Kodak Browie and similar cameras. Sports came into their own. and with more than half of the population now living in cities, hunting and fishing began to decline in importance. Toys became increasibngly sophisticated. A range of vehichles were built for children. And of course as child labor laws were passed, work became less important and school grew in improtance. Currently we only have a page on the 1920s.
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