The dolls portray eight- to fourteen-year-old girls of various ethnicities, faiths, nationalities, and social classes throughout different time periods throughout history. They are sold with accompanying books told from the viewpoint of the girls.

While there is nothing about Addy's appearance that even alludes to her trauma, the one American Girl doll for Black children like me was also a 9-year-old girl born into slavery. Her harrowing backstory set in the Civil War, she had escaped a plantation with her mother.

The eyes have internal decals or are hand painted to give the iris color. Eyes are either "pinwheel" style with faint lines behind the coloring or "decal" with a solid base. During the Pleasant Company years, each doll generally had soft eyelashes that closely matched their hair color.

American Girl, LLC is the current, official name of American Girl. Pleasant Company was the original name of the company for American Girl products. The company was started in 1986 by Pleasant Rowland, who retained ownership until she sold the line to Mattel in 1998.

The overwhelming response to the American Girl memes speaks to the brand's enduring resonance in popular culture. Founded by educator and entrepreneur Pleasant Rowland in 1986, the company quickly won a loyal following for its painstakingly researched, relatable line of historical dolls.

People like these dolls because they come with their own histories and stories, as if they were real people. They have nicely made clothing and accessories galore, so there are lots of play opportunities with them. Parents like them because they encourage an interest in history in their children.

In creating the character, American Girl worked closely with scholars of Black history to accurately represent the horrors of slavery and the perseverance of Black Americans. Her styling reflects this complicated history. Addy has braided hair, a West African cowrie shell necklace, and she has her own Black doll.

The hair is not human - even though it looks like it. American Girl dolls wear a wig made of high-quality mod-acrylic fibers sewn into a mesh wig cap, which is then glued onto the head.

Solly likewise quotes National Museum of American History historian Alex Piper: “American Girl made its characters relatable, opening an 'entry point' for children to immerse themselves in the nation's history.” The subtitle of Solly's article, “the beloved line of fictional characters taught children about American ...

People like these dolls because they come with their own histories and stories, as if they were real people. They have nicely made clothing and accessories galore, so there are lots of play opportunities with them. Parents like them because they encourage an interest in history in their children.

All in all, 20% of toys and baby online shop users in the United States use American Girl. That means, of the 67% who know the brand, 30% use them.