In the center of the righthand side of the room.
This child’s walker was known to have been used by John Brown Francis, and could have been used by his cousins, as well. It was made around 1792 in Providence. It has four wheels at the corners of its base for mobility, and dowels leading from the base to the center ring for supporting the child. When using this device, a child’s legs were unsupported, which helped to build the leg muscles. The walker also protected the child by keeping them away from the fireplace and other dangers. Use of artifacts such as this reveals the dominant philosophy of the days that young children must be confined and not allowed to act out their innate animal instincts, such as crawling on all fours. The goal was to get the child walking, and acting as much like an adult as soon as possible, while limiting their access in the world around them until deemed ready.