Our Cousins in Ohio facts for kids
| Author | Mary Botham Howitt |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Family biography |
| Published | 1849 |
Our Cousins in Ohio is a book from 1849 by Mary Botham Howitt. It tells the story of a Quaker family who moved from England to Ohio, USA, in the 1840s. The book shares what life was like for them over one year. Mary Howitt based the book on letters from her sister, Emma Botham Alderson. Emma, her husband Harrison, and their three children (William, Agnes, and Anna Mary) left England in 1842. Mary Howitt wrote this book as a "companion" to her earlier book, The Children's Year, which was about her own children's lives.
Contents
Life on an Ohio Farm: The Story and Setting
The story in Our Cousins in Ohio takes place on a family farm called "The Cedars." This farm was near a village that the book calls Athens. This fictional village was actually Warsaw, which is now part of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was located on the west bank of the Great Miami River in Hamilton County, Ohio. The original farm home was taken down in the 1850s. Today, Seton High School stands on that spot.
A Year in the Life: What Happens in the Book
Instead of one big plot, the book is organized like a calendar. There is a separate chapter for each month of the year. The story begins and ends with scenes of Christmas for the immigrant family.
Within this yearly structure, the book covers many parts of daily life. It talks about the parents trying to handle their son Willy's stubbornness. It also shows how they dealt with a neighborhood bully. The family works on raising crops and farm animals. They also explore the nearby woods.
The book also touches on important social topics of the time. It discusses the fight to end slavery. It mentions soldiers heading to a war with Mexico. It also talks about people moving west across the country. The book shares details about different religious and national groups living in the area.
Meet the Characters: Real People in the Story
Mary Howitt changed the names of many characters in the book. She did this because her sister asked her to. However, we can still figure out who some of the characters were in real life. Here is a list of some characters from Our Cousins in Ohio and the real people they were based on:
| Our Cousins Character | Real Person |
|---|---|
| Mother | Emma Alderson |
| Father | Harrison Alderson |
| Willie, William | William Charles Alderson |
| Florence | Agnes Alderson |
| Cornelia, Nelly | Alice Ann Alderson (1844–1855) |
| Felicia Bower | Jane Bonsal (c.1834-?) |
| Madame Leonard | Mary Crehore |
| Cousin Israel Hopper | Thompson Harrison (b. 1813) |
| Cousin Margaret | Elizabeth Mason |
| David Hutchinson | Abraham Taylor |
| Aunt Hutchinson | Elizabeth Taylor |
| Uncle Cornelius | Joseph W. Taylor (1810–1880) |
Why This Book Matters: Its Importance in History
Our Cousins in Ohio is known as a great example of "collaborative life writing." This means it was written by people working together to share real-life stories. Mary Howitt and her husband William often worked together on many books and articles. Their daughters, Margaret and Anna Mary, sometimes helped too.
From the very beginning, the Howitts saw writing as a family activity and business. This idea of teamwork helped bring the family closer. The book shows how working together can strengthen family bonds.
The book also shares important British social and cultural ideas. It especially highlights the Howitts' strong beliefs against slavery. By focusing on an immigrant family in America, the book extends these values across the Atlantic Ocean.
New Words from America
Our Cousins in Ohio also introduced many American words and phrases to British readers. Often, these words appeared in the book even before they were officially recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary. Unlike other writers of her time, Mary Howitt did not criticize these Americanisms. She simply included them in her story.
