American Pilgrim Period Paper Dolls

You've no doubt heard tales of the first Thanksgiving and stories of the pilgrims in the New World. The pilgrims were a group of English people who came to America in 1620 to freely practice their religion. The term eventually came to be used for all the early settlers of the era.

Paper dolls are a great way to teach kids about American history, especially those eras that were before the time of photography. They also could be used for school group history projects.

Americana collectibles are also popular among history buffs and collectors which makes these paper dolls a treat for adults as well as kids.

The clothing of the pilgrims wasn't as drab as you might imagine. There was plenty of the stiff-looking black on white fashions for men, women and children. But they couldn't just throw their good clothes in the washer and dryer, so if they had fine clothing at all, this was either saved for Sunday best or for very special occasions.

These people weren't rich and when they came to America there was hard physical labor to be done. They wore work-a-day clothes in a variety of colors.

This collection contains eight dolls of three generations with 32 costumes. Each of the family members has four sets of costumes that include travel, work and leisure wear as well as a set for special occasions.

The designs are by paper doll artist Tom Tierney who is well known in the field. His historical research is impeccable which is what has made his paper dolls popular collectibles.

These two delightful pilgrim girl sets are perfect for kids who love to play make believe (and how many of them don't?). They are excellent rainy-day activities to have on hand when your little one has tired of coloring books and crayons.

Priscilla has eight various costumes of reusable stickers. These are great for tiny hands that aren't as nimble with the paper tabs of traditional paper dolls. The other set is Patience the little pilgrim girl and is another beautiful collection designed by Tom Tierney. She has eight costumes of every day and fancy dress.

Are you interested in teaching American history that spans decades of the early eras? This paper doll assortment isn't focused on just the Pilgrim period but does include a family of dolls from this era. It's a much larger collection than the other selections listed above with 34 dolls and 170 costumes. There are male and female dolls of three generations from American history spanning the time from the 1650s to the 1860s which includes the Pilgrim, Colonial, Federalist and Confederate eras.

Once again, this is another set designed by Tom Tierney. This would be a valuable one-stop source for parents and teachers who want to have a quick teaching resource from these eras as well as fashion buffs who love these periods.

If you want a quick printable paper doll, then enjoy the online freebies below. Printing them on card stock would be the best choice to make them nice and sturdy.

Are you specifically interested in war era dolls? Find more historical paper doll designs in my articles on dolls from the Civil War Era and Revolutionary War and Colonial Era. These also include dolls of famous people of the times including Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee as well as some of the men considered the founding fathers of America.