He also kept up the family tradition of writing regularly to his wife and children. This collection is a rich resource for social historians researching the history of New England women and their families. The Dewey-Bliss family papers span five generations of the Dewey family of Williamstown, Northampton, and Worcester, Massachusetts, and four generations of the Bliss family of Royalston and Worcester, Massachusetts. Part 2 is a rich collection of primary documentation for students in women's studies, family studies, comparative social history, and the history of material culture. Virtually every aspect of family life is addressed in the diaries, letters, and courtship correspondence of these 19th century New Englanders.
Elders give moral guidance and educational advice to their children and grandchildren.
Extensive courtship correspondence reveals how romance and marriage evolved over several generations. And journals kept by both men and women record their innermost thoughts. Especially noteworthy is the correspondence of several generations of Dewey men to their sons. Four generations of Deweys attended Williams College and wrote extensively about college life and intellectual growth. Many of the Dewey men became attorneys, while the Bliss men excelled as businessmen and entrepreneurs.