The various essays that make up Children in Colonial America examine the different characteristics of childhood in the 16th and 18th centuries. The children arriving in the American colonies came from many different nations, and through these essays, the authors analyze children from every class, race, and ability range in order to present a broad picture of childhood in these times. Although each essay addresses an individual topic related to childhood, they all combine to provide a strong argument that children were extremely valued in society, were not small adults, and actively participated in society. Children in the early colonies were valued because they were the key to the colonies' prosperous future. Marten chooses essays on Aztec Mexico and New Spain to strengthen his case by demonstrating that this is true in the areas surrounding the colonies. In these areas, women who died in childbirth “were compared to soldiers who succumbed in battle” as they struggled to breathe new life into their society (14). Every child was important because they were malleable and could learn the culture and crafts of the society that would make the society prosper. Because children were so prized for their ability to be educated, idiocy was an extreme difficulty for parents, because it “represented the antithesis of Puritan parents' aspirations for their children” (142). Idiocy prevented children to be independent, competent adults, and parents who had worked hard to achieve this goal for their children were embarrassed and judged by others in their community. These children would never carry on the values ​​of their parents and religious people were even more worried that they would die sinners... middle of paper... especially before 1877, because children represent the future of these colonies and the way they are raised and treated reflects the values ​​of families and the goals of societies themselves Learning more about children in these early American colonies will provide further insight into the culture of these settlers Overall, James Marten successfully supports his thesis that children were valued in the early American colonies, were not just small adults but in. in reality they had childhoods and actively participated in these societies. By presenting her chosen works in a way that makes her evidence clear, she makes it clear to the reader that learning about children in the early American colonies is essential to learning about the colonies themselves. Works Cited Marten, James. Children in Colonial America. New York and London: New York University Press, 2007.