The book offers an overview of textiles in America, based on years of research, that is unmatched in scope. Imported textiles played a central role in the lives of American colonists. The most-imported commodity, and a highly valued one, textiles were used for bedding, bed curtains, clothing, household linens, window curtains, upholstery, and floor covering. This book illustrates samples from collections around the world, as well as drawings and engravings of the time. Its dictionary-style entries depict the myriad household uses for textiles in the period. Drawing on original documents, prints, paintings, commercial records, merchant papers, advertisements, and pattern books, "Textiles in America 1650-1870" is a comprehensive resource and a treasure trove of scholarship. 117 color, 225 black-and-white illustrations.