Best known now for his dictionary, Noah Webster first became celebrated for producing a spelling book that taught millions of Americans how to read. He also wrote political pamphlets, reference works on history and geography, essays of practical advice, and even a study of yellow fever. But his main legacy is to have produced the quintessential American dictionary, thus codifying the American variant of the English language and making his name synonymous with dictionary-making.
Born in the West Division of Hartford, a farming district in the British colony of Connecticut, a decade and a half before the outbreak of the American Revolution, Webster was descended from leading New England families, including two colonial governors, but by his time the family was no longer prominent or wealthy.
3114 words
Citation: Goldfarb, Sheldon. "Noah Webster". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 August 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4644, accessed 20 April 2024.]
