Boys' Historic Uniforms: The 1860s

Figure 1.--.

Two important guiding lights in the foundation of uniformed boys' groups were founded in the 1860s. Ernest Thompson Seton was born in America during the 1860s. Author and proponent of British colonialism, Rudyard Kipling, was born in England during 1865.

A major development in 1860 was the opening of the first American Boys Club in Harford, Connecticut. The organization was not a uniformed group, but was one of the earliest attempts to provide recreational opportunities and a safe environment for the city poor.