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The New England diaries were filmed from the handwritten originals housed at the American Antiquarian Society, in Worcester, MA. Most of the diaries concern family, social and religious activities of the women. There are many short poems interspersed in the diaries.
The Southern diaries came from various archives--the University of Virginia, and the University of Alabama, to name two. A number of the diarists were related by blood or marriage, which makes it possible to see certain incidents from several points of view. The diaries can be grouped into "life diaries"--those begun as a young woman and maintained throughout life; War diaries--recording the life they lived during the Civil War; and situation diaries--recording a trip to Europe or a cholera epidemic, for example. At least one diarist was a Black woman. Excerpts from some of the diaries have been published.
The Western diaries are not described very well. Many of the entries are brief interviews or responses to questionnaires administered by the Utah Works Progress Administration (Ogden, UT) in the 1930's and 1940's. The guide to the Western diaries contains a copy of the questionnaire given to the pioneer women.
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