What is the History of Childhood?

History is often told through the stories of "great men": the grand heroes and villains, adults who waged wars, invented breakthrough technologies, wrote the books of the canon, or explored the globe. But children were in history, too: in homes and in playgrounds, in schools and in society. We can – and should – tell the past from the perspective of the young, and understand the myriad ways that childhood has been socially constructed across time.

In this insightful book, historian Heidi Morrison traces the evolution of the history of childhood. Drawing upon the wealth of English language scholarship available today, she expertly introduces the essential concepts, methods, and debates, summarizes key themes, and discusses future challenges. Childhood matters: it is the most intense period in a person's formation of the self, and Morrison reveals how putting children at the center of historical analysis can have an equally impactful influence on our understanding of the world we live in today.

No historian can afford to miss this essential book. As a flourishing and vibrant field, the history of childhood reminds us that the past – as well as the future – is intricately linked to the actions and experiences of children.