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Rare Historical Portraits of Rural Americans from the Mid-19th Century

Historically, the United States was an agricultural nation with many people living on farms or small towns and villages. In the late 19th Century, rural populations continued to grow, but urban populations grew more rapidly. Nevertheless, the majority of Americans lived in rural areas in 1900.

In this period, various farming machines were invented, but horses, oxen, and people still provided most of the power for these machines. Despite growing cash crops (crops grown for sale), farmers were still remarkably self-sufficient, making or trading nearly everything they needed for their families.

Here are some historical portraits of rural Americans from the 1850s and 1860s.

#4 A country boy wearing a great hat

A country boy wearing a great hat

#5 A darling little girl in a tinted off shoulder dress and red coral necklace

#7 A little girl holding a very large doll

A little girl holding a very large doll

#8 A little girl in a pink dress holding a doll. Back of image has photographer card from C.B. Lawry, Farmington, Maine

#10 A pale young lady with dark circles under her eyes

#11 A pretty girl holding her fan

A pretty girl holding her fan

#14 A sweet looking senior lady wearing a bonnet

A sweet looking senior lady wearing a bonnet

#17 All in the family

All in the family

#19 Cute little girl most likely sitting on mom’s lap (hidden under blanket) while playing with her mother’s purse

#21 Family photo with little girl leaning on her dad

Family photo with little girl leaning on her dad

#24 Kid with a doll

Kid with a doll

#27 Mom and her two girls in matching dresses including the doll

Mom and her two girls in matching dresses including the doll

#30 Reverend C T Douglas holding his son Travis on his lap

#31 Sad beauty

Sad beauty

#32 Seven seamstresses. Most of them are showing or holding their scissors

#34 Sisters with doll

Sisters with doll

#37 Two rural American children. Home made dresses and haircuts. Their hands appear dirty but are actually tan lines from working outside

Two rural American children. Home made dresses and haircuts. Their hands appear dirty but are actually tan lines from working outside

#41 Two young ladies

Two young ladies

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Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

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