"The purpose of this volume is to bring into clearer focus the era of 1840-1860, and perhaps it may help to overcome the many erroneous notions that have grown up over the years surrounding and beclouding an era of great social change in America. For this purpose the daguerrotype has great documentary value for the study of the emerging national character in this period. These early photographs have an almost breath-of-life quality, an intensity, and a directness; studying them offers a fresh new insight into the era. As the study and writing of the book progressed, the people of the era emerged as so warmly human, so humerous, so serious, and so broad in outlook, that many of the old 'truisms' prevalent in modern education melted away. It was found that this was a society completely divorced from the later nineteenth century. Although mid-nineteenth century America is often referred to as the Victorian Age, the mere fact that Victoria was Queen of England from 1837-1901 can hardly justify the grouping of an American society into one category for the balance of the century."-- Page 10, introduction.