Noah Webster (1758–1843)
“Blue Back” speller
Hartford, Connecticut: Hudson & Goodwin, 1783
Rare Book Division
“Blue Back” speller
Noah Webster was an ardent patriot who, soon after the country won independence, found his calling as the author of American schoolbooks for American children. He yearned for an American English purged of what he considered to be British aristocratic influence. Aiming for democratic clarity in spelling and grammar, Webster succeeded in removing the “u” from “favour” and “honour,” though his alternative for “neighbour”—“nabor”—never gained popularity.
During the 1800s, as many as 100 million copies of Webster’s spellers were in circulation. Most of these, however, were pirated editions from which the author himself did not profit. Webster is now best remembered as the compiler and editor of the English-language dictionary that bears his name.
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
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