[[File:Screen-Shot-2018-12-05-at-10.19.24-AM-1632x1120.png|thumbnail|left|300px|Figure 1. In the late 1800s, summer camps were seen as places for boys to escape urban and indoor life that may otherwise make them too feminine, at least according to some.]]__NOTOC__For children and adolescents, summer camp has been a fixture of American life. In the summer months, parents have often placed their children in summer camps to avoid boredom or even keep them out of trouble. Summer camps can be educational but also fun for those involved, helping to get through the summer months. For adults, it provides a form of childcare as well. The history of summer camps has in the United States has its origin in the evolution of modern, industrial life in the 19th century that changed the national economy and country.
==Early History The history of Summer Camps==summer camps has in the United States has its origin in the evolution of modern, industrial life in the 19th century that changed the national economy and country.
Perhaps the first organized summer camp for children occurred in Gunnery, Connecticut, where Frederick W. Gunn, a well-known abolitionist, established a recreational camp. As the Industrial Age progressed after the Civil War in the 1870s, families began to increasingly migrate to cities, escaping country life that promissed fewer opportunities for families. As adults, often men, worked in factories and sometimes offices, children would often have little to do, in particular during the summer months when there were prolonged breaks from school. Increasingly, as families began to spend more of their time in the city, they also saw that children would spend a lot of time indoors, where many urban houses or apartments also offered limited outdoor space. This created an initial movement to begin to develop summer camps as opportunities for boys to reconnect with the outdoors and the countryside. Effectively, the earliest summer camps were about escaping the big city and reconnecting with the nature. People saw that being outdoors build character and families began to place their kids into the relatively few summer camps that established themselves in the 1870s-1880s. Camp Chocorua was an early dedicated summer camp, which was founded in New Hampshire by Ernest Balch, who was a student at Dartmouth college at the time. This camp was seen as a way for boys to heal from potentially negative effects of cities and help develop their character. Some also held that boys spending a lot of time at home, rather than being outdoors as they would have in the country, would become more femanized. This meant that many early camps generally catered towards the upper classes and boys. There was also a fear that boys would grow up to be morally corrupt if they only experienced urban life, leading to religious and community leaders pushing for the establishment of summer camps. However, throughout the 19th century, these were mainly upper class activities. Summer camps became not only places for playful activities and sports, but structured education, particularly with moral behaviour, was part of the routines. Educators, philanthropoists, health professionals, and religious leaders all soon became major proponents of summer camps (Figure 1). <ref>For more on the establishment and early summer camps in the 19th century, see: Paris, L., 2010. <i>Children’s nature: the rise of the American summer camp</i>. New York University Press, New York, NY.</ref>.
====Early History of Summer Camps====
Perhaps the first organized summer camp for children occurred in Gunnery, Connecticut, where Frederick W. Gunn, a well-known abolitionist, established a recreational camp. Already then it was seen as a place where young children can connect with nature. As the Industrial Age progressed after the Civil War in the 1870s, families began to increasingly migrate to cities, escaping country life that also promised fewer opportunities for outdoor activities for families. As adults, often men, worked in factories and sometimes offices, children would often have little to do, in particular during the summer months when there were prolonged breaks from school.
[[File:Screen-Shot-2018-12-05-at-10Increasingly, as families began to spend more of their time in the city, they also saw that children would spend a lot of time indoors, where many urban houses or apartments also offered limited outdoor space.19This was seen as particularly a problem for boys, where outdoor activities were seen as a way for a boy to develop into a man.24-AM-1632x1120Some held that if boys spent a lot of time at home, rather than being outdoors as they would have in the country, they would become more feminized.png|thumb|Figure 1There was also a fear that boys would grow up to be morally corrupt if they only experienced urban life, leading to religious and community leaders pushing for the establishment of summer camps. In This helped to create an initial movement to begin to develop summer camps more substantially across the late 1800scountry, where the first summer camps were seen as places focused on opportunities for boys to escape urban reconnect with the outdoors and indoor life that may otherwise make them too feminine, at least according to somethe countryside.]]
==Development of Summer Camps Effectively, the earliest summer camps were about escaping the big city and reconnecting with nature so boys can be better men. People saw that being outdoors built character and families began to place their kids, mainly boys, into the relatively few summer camps that established themselves in the 1870s-1880s. Camp Chocorua was an early dedicated summer camp, which was founded in New Hampshire by Ernest Balch, who was a student at Dartmouth college at the 20th Century==time. This camp was seen as a way for boys to heal from potentially negative effects of cities and help develop their character. Boys would get exposed to activities such as swimming, rowing, and even shooting or hunting, with camps also teaching them leadership skills.
There were perhaps no more than 100 summer Summer camps by the end of the 19th century. However, within the first decade of the 20th century, that number expanded to 1000. By 1910, Alan S. Williams founded the American Camp Association, which began to create certified standards became not only places for camps, that included more regimented playful activitiesand sports, health standardsbut structured education, and requirements for having a good camp. Children by then would now go for nearly the entire summer campsparticularly with moral behavior, sometimes not returning to their homes until the end was part of the summerroutines. While This also meant that many of the early camps focused on generally catered towards the upper classclasses as well, as middle and increasingly middle-class boys, by lower classes often could not afford the time of World War I, it was seen that girls also camps or needed to go away have their children around to summer campshelp work in the factories or fields. Summer camps for girls began to cater to what they believed would be important life skills for girlsEducators, mainly homelifephilanthropists, sewhealth professionals, and prepare for motherhood. Families by the 1920s began to also fear the so-called "Flapper" culture, where women increasingly wore shorter skirts, smoked, and embraced their sexuality. This was also the period religious leaders all soon became major proponents of prohibition and increasing crime. These were seen as corrupting activities that many families feared would corrupt their girls, leading to specialized summer camps for girls that became an anti-culture to the Flappers. Additionally, marginalized groups, including Native Americans and other ethnic minorities that became established in the United States, also saw summer camps as a way to escape "Americanization" of their cultures. While today we see interests aligned in seeing summer camps as a distinctive hallmark of American summer culture, by the 1920s and 1930s it was seen as a way to enculturate children from different cultures with their ethnic identitiesbeing beneficial not only towards boys but also society more generally (Figure 1).<ref>For more on the establishment and early 20th century and how summer camps expandedin the 19th century, see: Frost Paris, J.L., 2010. <i>A history Children’s nature: the rise of children’s play and play environments: toward a contemporary child-saving movementthe American summer camp</i>. RoutledgeNew York University Press, New York, NY. </ref>{{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}}<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>
Camps were also generally segregated, not only by sex but also by ethnic and racial divides. For African Americans, Camp Atwater became one of the first dedicated camps that focused mostly on middle-class African Americans with recreational, networking, and cultural activities for their children. Religious camps also became more frequent by the 1920s, with Christian and Jewish groups establishing their own camps to educate their children and provide activities during the summer months. Even camps for different political movements, such as socialists, began to be established for summertime activities. Increasingly, summer camps were seen as a way to escape the larger culture and help with acculturation of the different sub-groups that composed the ====Related Articles===={{#dpl:category=United States. One could argue that summer camps, at least in places, may have helped to divide society rather than help it come together, but for many groups, they were seen as important activities to help their children establish their social identity while also engaging in fun activities. Summer camps thus became important to many cultures, and during the Depression years, the New Deal even helped finance summer camps for children to keep them going during the difficult economic times (Figure 1).<ref>For more on how summer camps were utilized by different social groups, see: Van Slyck, A.A., 2006. <i>A manufactured wilderness: summer camps and the shaping of American youth, 1890-1960, Architecture, landscape, and American culture series </i>. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=6}}</refdiv>
What changed summer camps arguably was World War II, where now ====Development of Summer Camps in the horrors of war began to hit home for many families20th Century====[[File:1935-Hive-Evening-Circle-620x406.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Figure 1. Childhood began to be Summer camps were seen as a time of innocence, rather than simply to prepare someone for adulthoodan important investment by the government in the 1930s. Protecting childhood, rather ]]There were perhaps no more than trying to get out of it, became a theme with 100 summer campsby the end of the 19th century. IncreasinglyHowever, summer camps began to focus on within the first decade of the arts20th century, playtime, and devoted that number expanded to activities that many would not do as adultsabout 1000. Summer camps also became more integrated in placesBy 1910, during Alan S. Williams founded the war yearsAmerican Camp Association, as resources were more limited which began to have too many create certified standards for camps. However, some camps began to see it was important that even children help with the war effort. Children became involved with farming and agricultural included more regimented activities, such as tending to food gardenshealth standards, to help with and requirements for having a good camp. Children by then would now go for nearly the war effortentire summer, which allowed them sometimes not returning to be busy outdoors while also helping with their homes until the wider war effort.By end of the 1950s and 1960s, summer camps increasingly took their more modern form. Activities that promoted sporting activities, while also encouraging social activity, became common, although specialized summmer While many of the early campsfocused on the upper class, such as for Jewish childrenand increasingly middle-class boys in the early 20th century, continued to also cater towards activities that helped acculturate children. <ref>For more on how summer camps changed at around by the time of World War II and later, I families also began to see: Bond, H.E., Brumberg, J.J., Paris, L., 2006. <i>A paradise for boys that girls also needed to go away to summer camps and girls”: children’s camps in the Adirondacks</i>, 1st ed. ed. Adirondack Museum/Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, N.Ythat this time could benefit them. </ref>
[[File:1935-Hive-Evening-CircleSummer camps for girls began to cater to what parents and society believed would be important life skills for girls, mainly homelife, sewing skills, and preparing for motherhood. Families by the 1920s began to also fear the so-620x406called "Flapper" culture, where women increasingly wore shorter skirts, smoked, and embraced their sexuality.jpg|thumb|Figure 1This was also the period of prohibition and increasing crime. Summer camps These were seen as an important investment by corrupting activities and many families began to fear the corrupting nature of the government surrounding would culture would affect their girls, leading to specialized summer camps for girls that, at least in part, became an anti-cultural movement to the 1930sFlappers. ]]
==Recent Trends==TodayAdditionally, summer camps are diverse in the range of activities they providemarginalized groups, including rafting, sailing, archery, Native Americans and other outdoor activitiesethnic minorities that became established in the United States, also saw summer camps as well as cultural and educational events. Camps also cater towards suburban children, who do not venture far from a way to escape "Americanization" of their homes cultures and go only during the day, while others continue the trend of overnight stays, sometimes lasting most of the summer months. Camps are also diverse, with some very specialised with help establish their activities, own cultural and perhaps out of reach for many adults' pocketbooks, while others try to blend different children from different socio-economic backgroundssocial identities. With the advent of the Internet and mobile devices, including gamming, many adults While today we see summer camps as a way to escape modern lifedistinctive hallmark of American summer culture, similar to how adults saw it in by the 19th century. This time, however, it is to escape technologies that makeup daily life 1920s and help children better integrate with nature. For educators, 1930s it is also was seen as a way for children to appreciate nature and better understand threats such as climate and environmental change. Most of all, summer camps are seen as a fun experience during the summer where enculturate children can build life-long friendships and learn skills and hobbies they may not otherwise have opportunities to developfrom different cultures with their ethnic identities.<ref>For more on the early 20th century and how modern summer camps are catering to today's world and children in Americaexpanded, see: NadelFrost, MJ., Scher, SL., 20192010. <i>Not just A history of children’s play and playenvironments: summer camp and the profession of social worktoward a contemporary child-saving movement</i>. Oxford University PressRoutledge, New York. </ref>
==Summary==Camps were also generally segregated, not only by sex but also by ethnic and racial divides. For African Americans, Camp Atwater became one of the first dedicated camps that focused mostly on middle-class African Americans with recreational, networking, and cultural activities for their children. Religious camps also became more frequent by the 1920s, with Christian and Jewish groups establishing their own camps to educate their children and provide activities during the summer months. Even camps for different political movements, such as socialists, began to be established for summertime activities.
While summer camps were seen as a way to escape the larger culture and help with acculturation of the different sub-groups that composed the United States, one could also argue that summer camps, at least in places, may have helped to divide society rather than help it come together. Nevertheless, for many social groups, summer camps were seen as important for providing cultural and social activities to help their children establish their distinct identity while also engaging in fun activities. Summer camps thus became important to many cultures, and during the Depression years, the New Deal even helped finance summer camps for children to keep them going during the difficult economic times (Figure 1).<ref>For more on how summer camps were utilized by different social groups, see: Van Slyck, A.A., 2006. <i>A manufactured wilderness: summer camps and the shaping of American youth, 1890-1960, Architecture, landscape, and American culture series </i>. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. </ref>
What changed summer camps arguably was World War II, where now the horrors of war began to hit home for many families. Childhood began to be seen as a time of innocence, rather than simply to prepare someone for adulthood. Protecting childhood, rather than trying to get out of it, became a theme with summer camps. Increasingly, summer camps began to focus on the arts, playtime, and devoted to activities that many would not do as adults. Summer camps also became more integrated in places, during the war years, as resources were more limited to have too many camps. However, some camps began to see it was important that even children help with the war effort. Children became involved with farming and agricultural activities, such as tending to food gardens, which allowed them to be busy outdoors while also helping with the wider war effort.
By the 1950s and 1960s, summer camps increasingly took their more modern form. Activities that promoted sporting activities, while also encouraging social activity, became common, although specialized summmer camps, such as for Jewish children, continued to also cater their activities that helped acculturate children. For some cultures, it was this period that saw summer camps become a fixture of growing up in the United States. <ref>For more on how summer camps changed at around the time of World War II and later, see: Bond, H.E., Brumberg, J.J., Paris, L., 2006. <i>A paradise for boys and girls”: children’s camps in the Adirondacks</i>, 1st ed. ed. Adirondack Museum/Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, N.Y. </ref>
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====Recent Trends====
Today, summer camps are diverse in the range of activities they provide, including rafting, sailing, archery, and other outdoor activities, as well as cultural and educational events. Camps also cater towards suburban children, who do not venture far from their homes and go only during the day, while others continue the trend of overnight stays, sometimes lasting most of the summer months. Camps are also diverse, with some very specialized with their activities, and perhaps out of reach for many adults' pocketbooks, while others try to blend different children from different socio-economic backgrounds.
With the advent of the Internet and mobile devices, including gaming, many adults see summer camps as a way to escape modern life, similar to how adults saw it in the 19th century. This time, however, it is to escape technologies that makeup daily life and help children better integrate with nature. For educators, it is also seen as a way for children to appreciate nature and better understand threats such as climate and environmental change, with summer camps used also as a way to bring first-hand experiences to what is taught in classrooms. Most of all, summer camps are seen by parents as a fun experience during the summer where children can build life-long friendships and learn skills and hobbies they may not otherwise have opportunities to develop.<ref>For more on how modern summer camps are catering to today's world and children in America, see: Nadel, M., Scher, S., 2019. <i>Not just play: summer camp and the profession of social work</i>. Oxford University Press, New York. </ref>
====Summary====
Summer camps have reflected America's changing and different attitudes towards urban life and its views of nature. some views have remained the same, with nature seen as a way to escape modern life. However, attitudes on who can go to summer camp have shifted. Initially, it was only boys, while girls, once they began to go, were relugated to activities that prepared them for motherhood. These attitudes, along with segregation of minorities and cultural groups, now done away with, although some may argue that class and racial divides are still evident in camps, where socio-economic status plays a role in the experience children have during the summer months.
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====References====<references/>[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:United States History]] [[Category: Social History]] [[Category:Gender History]]
