Wouldn’t it be cool to make American blocks for an Americana Quilt?’ It’s not very hard to find patterns because pieced blocks dominated American quilts after the advent of fabric production in America c.1840. Before that time, women, instead of machines, spun thread and wove fabrics keeping them too busy for pattern design.
The “history of quilts” is called the “herstory of quilts” by a Texas Tech University writer, mainly because women were the makers and keepers of the artful bedding. Author and quilter Barbara Brackman uses the history of fabric, patterns and dyes to date quilts. Check out her blog, “Material Culture”.
The National Park Service has a site about some early quilt block designs along with their history. Here are a few interesting blocks:
From the National Park Service Quilt Discovery Project
National Park Service Quilt Discovery
Anvil from NPS Quilt Discovery Project
Stashing Sisters 
I love reading the histories of quilts. It is so inspiring to think of women whose lives were filled with so much physical labor and hardship finding ways to keep beauty and creativeness alive.