Unidentified girl with her mammy doll, probably Northwest Arkansas, circa 1900.

Toys often reflect society’s values and cultural attitudes, for good or for bad. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, African Americans were frequently depicted by toy manufacturers in child-like, comical, and certainly derogatory ways.

Minority and immigrant groups were often portrayed with exaggerated physical features or character traits. Scholars believe that such ethnic stereotypes were a way for the dominant white society to portray itself as superior, especially in the face of increasing non-Protestant immigration and rapid social change.