Based on a wealth of family papers, period images, and popular literature, this is the first book devoted to the broad history of sibling relations in America. Illuminating the evolution of the modern family system, Siblings shows how brothers and sisters have helped each other in the face of the dramatic political, economic, and cultural changes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The book illustrates how, in colonial America, sibling relations offered an egalitarian space to soften the challenges of the larger patriarchal family and society, whereas after the Revolution, in antebellum America, sibling relations provided order and authority in a more democratic nation. As Hemphill demonstrates, siblings function across all races as humanity's shock-absorbers as well as valued kin and keepers of memory. This wide-ranging book offers a new understanding of the relationship between families and history in an evolving world and a timely reminder of the role our siblings play in our own lives.

About the Author
C. Dallett Hemphill is a Professor of History at Ursinus College. She is the author of Bowing to Necessities: A History of Manners in America, 1620-1860. She has seven siblings.

Reviews
Hemphill's striking insights into lateral relationships among children provides a provocative template for thinking about how childhood bonds sustained individuals who faced the constant upheavals of slavery, of removal, and of cultural erasure. This book will be of great value for scholars interested in early American history, the history of the family, and childhood studies. * Anna Mae Duane, Journal of American History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199754052
Author C. Dallett Hemphill
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 612g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 155mm * 31mm