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Woman's Comb

Woman's Comb

Grade Range: K-12
Resource Type(s): Artifacts, Primary Sources
Date Posted: 9/3/2008

This tortoiseshell woman's hair comb dates from the 19th century. A precursor to plastics, tortoiseshell and horn were common materials used in combs since they could be made soft and moldable by heating. As they cooled, they would harden and keep their new shape.

 


National Standards

United States History Standards (Grades 5-12)

Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)

1: United States territorial expansion between 1801 and 1861, and how it affected relations with external powers and Native Americans
 
2: How the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed the lives of Americans and led toward regional tensions
 
3: The extension, restriction, and reorganization of political democracy after 1800
 
4: The sources and character of cultural, religious, and social reform movements in the antebellum period
 

Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)

1: The causes of the Civil War
 
2: The course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people
 
3: How various reconstruction plans succeeded or failed
 

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Keywords

comb, clothing, apparel, 19th century, tortoiseshell, Puerto Rico,

Related Book

Seven Brave Women

Author Betsy Hearne entertains readers with stories about seven generations of women in her family, from the Revolutionary era to today. In the lives they built and the objects they left behind, the author finds a legacy of strength, courage, and wisdom that spans the link between mothers and daughters.

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