The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

In The Age of Homespun, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich weaves together history, art, and material culture to uncover the stories behind everyday household objects of early America. Through textiles, tools, and keepsakes, Ulrich explores how domestic craftsmanship shaped the myths of self-reliance, virtue, and simplicity that defined America’s past. Each artifact becomes a thread in a larger tapestry of women’s lives, economic transformation, and cultural identity, offering a profound reflection on how material things carry the weight of history and memory.