Research Guides: 19th Century Theatre History: Social and Cultural History

Important Texts

American eras primary sources. Development of a nation, 1783-1815 by Jennifer York Stock
Includes primary sources documenting events, publications, lifestyles, and individuals important to the early Republic period in U.S. History.
American eras primary sources. Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
A companion to 19th-century America by William L. Barney
A Companion to 19th-Century America is an authoritative overview of current historiographical developments and major themes in the history of nineteenth-century America. Twenty-seven scholars, all specialists in their own thematic areas, examine the key debates and historiography. A thematic and chronological organization brings together the major time periods, politics, the Civil War, economy, and social and cultural history of the nineteenth century.
Rudeness & civility : manners in nineteenth-century urban America
The good old days : a history of American morals and manners as seen through the Sears Roebuck catalog
Learning to behave : a guide to American conduct books before 1900
American Manners and Morals by Mary Cable
American manners & morals; a picture history of how we behaved and misbehaved.
Godey's lady's book and magazine.
The oldest lady's book in America established 1830.

Victorian Popular Culture This link opens in a new window
An essential resource for the study of popular entertainment in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This innovative portal invites users into the darkened halls, small backrooms and travelling venues that hosted everything from spectacular shows and bawdy burlesque, to the world of magic and spiritualist séances. ** The resource is divided into four self-contained sections: Moving Pictures, Optical Entertainments and the Advent of Cinema; Music Hall, Theatre and Popular Entertainment; Circuses, Sideshows and Freaks; Spiritualism, Sensation and Magic.

The Victorian Web
The Victorian Web presents its images and documents, including entire books, as nodes in a network of complex connections. In other words, it emphasizes the link rather than the search tool (though it has one) and presents information linked to other information rather than atomized and isolated. Originally begun back in 1987 as a means of helping scholars and students in see connections between different fields, the site today has greatly expanded the kinds of connections one can find. For example, on this site commentary on the works of Charles Dickens exists linked to his life and contemporary social and political history, drama, religion, book illustration, economics, and so forth.

Everyday Life and Women in America This link opens in a new window
Everyday Life and Women in America showcases unique primary source material circa 1800-1920 for the study of American social, cultural, and popular history. Sourced from the collections of the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History, Duke University, and The New York Public Library, it is comprised of fully searchable images of monographs, pamphlets, periodicals, and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social, and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes. The collection is especially rich in conduct of life and domestic management literature, offering vivid insights into the daily lives of women and men, as well as emphasizing contrasts in regional, urban, and rural cultures.

London Low Life This link opens in a new window
London Low Life is a full-text searchable resource, containing colour digital images of rare books, ephemera, maps and other materials relating to 18th, 19th and early 20th century London.In addition to the digital documents, London Low Life contains a wealth of secondary resources, including a chronology, interactive maps, essays, online galleries and links to other useful websites.

Travel Writing, Spectacle and World History This link opens in a new window
This resource brings together hundreds of accounts by women of their travels across the globe from the early 19th century to the late 20th century. Students and researchers will find sources covering a variety of topics including; architecture; art; the British Empire; climate; customs; exploration; family life; housing; industry; language; monuments; mountains; natural history; politics and diplomacy; race; religion; science; shopping; war. *