Diaries

Abstract

This article throws light on the idea of individualism and the expression of individuality. Titled ‘Diaries’, this article focuses on the importance of records in the form of diaries. The etymology of the term “diary” goes back to the Latin for “daily”. Generally, diaries record events in a regular sequence, most often on a regular daily basis, with the act of writing not far removed in time from when documented occurrences took place. Accounts written long afterward are usually designated as memoirs or autobiographies. Diaries are supposed to be immediate, comprehending both personal eyewitness observation and a register of the diarist's responses and thoughts about the occurrences observed. This article delves into the details of almanacs such as Nathan Bowen's series, The New England Diary, or, Almanack (Boston, 1722–1737), and Nathaniel Ames's An Astronomical Diary, or, An Almanack (1726–1764). By 1750 more than fifty distinct almanacs came out every year.