.
compiled, written by Jim Moyer 1/2/2017, 3/15/2017
.
The World of the 1750s was very undefined:
-
Borders? No one really knew.
-
Calendar? Julian vs Gregorian. Double Year Dates.
-
Words? No standard spellings.
.
.
Samuel Johnson
1755
A Dictionary of the English Language published 15 April 1755 by Samuel Johnson after 9 years work.
.
Noah Webster’s first dictionary of English is published in 1806, but like his influence, not everyone saw these standard spellings right away.
.
So various spellings of many words continued for years.
.
And as an aside, English is the only language in the world holding Spelling Bees.
.
When you read the letters of George Washington and his men at this time, you will see different spellings for the same word all the time.
.
.
.
Noah Webster
.
1785
“1785, he had written his speller, a grammar book and a reader for elementary schools.[19] Proceeds from continuing sales of the popular blue-backed speller enabled Webster to spend many years working on his famous dictionary.[20]“
.
1806
“In 1806, Webster published his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. In 1807 Webster began compiling an expanded and fully comprehensive dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language; it took twenty-six years to complete…”
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Webster
.
.
.
How they signed their letters
.
.
“I remain, Sir, your faithful and obedient servant”
It’s abbreviation – “Yours Faithfully”
.
See Reddit discussion of the ending of letters you see everywhere at this time.
.
.
.
THE BIBLE
Here is a discussion of the Bibles in the colonies, being the most widely held book, more than any other.
.
Illegal to print
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/It-was-ILLEGAL-to-PRINT-BIBLES-in-AMERICA—-UNTIL–Congress—recommend-this-edition-of-the-Bible-to-the-inhabitants-of-the-Uni.html?soid=1108762609255&aid=eoNO0y5x9zE
.
Geneva Bible vs King James Bible
http://www.18thcenturybibles.org/Welcome.html
.
First published Bible in America is Algonquin
http://www.18thcenturybibles.org/Algonquin_Gospel.html
.
Seneca County Ohio Bible Records
https://archive.org/stream/senecacoohiobibl00ohio#page/n13/mode/2up
.
.
.
.
.
The Big Libraries
.
John Mercer’s Library
.
.
.
How they spoke
.
http://www.wvculture.org/history/journal_wvh/wvh30-2.html
.
.
.
CATO by Addison
.
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato,_a_Tragedy
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Addison
.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31592
.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31592/31592-h/31592-h.htm
.
http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/addison-cato-a-tragedy-and-selected-essays
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope
.
.
.
GOODIE TWO SHOES
.
.
1765
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_Little_Goody_Two-Shoes
.
.
.
.
.