Noah Webster biography

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Webster entered Yale in 1774, interrupted his studies to serve briefly in the American Revolution, and was graduated in 1778. He taught school, did clerical work, and studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1781.

While teaching in Goshen, New York, in 1782, Webster became dissatisfied with texts for children that ignored the American culture, and he began his lifelong efforts to promote a distinctively American education. His first step in this direction was preparation of A Grammatical Institute of the English Language, the first part being The American Spelling Book (1783), the famed “Blue-Backed Speller,” which has never been out of print. The spelling book provided much of Webster's income for the rest of his life, and its total sales have been estimated as high as 100,000,000 copies or more.

A grammar (1784) and a reader (1785) completed the Institute. The grammar was based on Webster's principle (enunciated later in his dictionary) that “grammar is formed on language, and not language on grammar.” Although he did not always follow this principle and often relied on analogy, reason, and true or fanciful etymology, his inconsistencies were no greater than those of his English contemporaries. He spoke of American English as “Federal English,” always contrasting the superior usage of the yeoman of America with the alleged affectations of London. The reader consisted mainly of American selections chosen to promote democratic ideals and responsible moral and political conduct.

The absence of a federal copyright law until 1790 and discrepancies among the state laws left the author of a popular book open to piracy unless he exerted strenuous efforts. Webster's letters to various state legislatures reflect his activity on his own behalf, and he traveled widely, lobbying for uniform copyright laws and teaching, lecturing, and giving singing lessons to help support himself. In 1787 he founded the short-lived American Magazine in New York City. This publication