New England primer

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The first page of the New England Primer: the letters A through F.

The New England Primer was first printed in 1690 Primer , which in the British colonies in New England later in the United States into it became widespread until the 19th century.

The oldest surviving copy dates back to 1727, but based on earlier advertisements it can be assumed that the first edition appeared around 1690. The primer was probably created by the English printer Benjamin Harris, who emigrated to Massachusetts in 1686. It is estimated that 6 million copies were printed by 1830. Probably because of the high price of paper, the volumes were very small (10 × 7 cm).

The New England Primer is an expression of the worldview of the New England Puritans . The ability to read had an extraordinarily high priority in their society due to the Lutheran principle of sola scriptura , so that colonial New England was probably the society with the highest literacy rate of its time; In 1760 around 85% of men could write. The main points of Reformed theology become clear in the rhyming sentences with which the children were taught the letters. The first of these two-line lines to the letter A has become particularly famous: In Adam's Fall / We sinned all , ie “In Adam's fall, we all sinned.” Nathaniel Hawthorne , for example, could use this sentence as one of many possible reference points for the famous A in his novel The Scarlet Had letter in mind. The alphabet is followed by reading exercises, also mostly Bible paraphrases, as well as prayers, edifying maxims and a catechism , illustrated with simple woodcuts .

literature

  • Daniel A. Cohen: The Origin and Development of the New England Primer. In: Children's Literature 5, 1976. pp. 52-57.
  • Patricia Crain: The Story of A: The Alphebetization of America from the New England Primer to The Scarlet Letter. Stanford University Press, 2000.
  • Paul Leicester Ford : The New England Primer; A History of its Origin and Development; With a Reprint of the Unique Copy of the Earliest Known Edition and Many Facsimile Illustrations and Reproductions. Dodd, Mead & Co., New York 1897. Digitized