The New England

PrimerA History

By Carrie Williams

What Was It?

The first American textbook Published between 1687 & 1690 An abridged version of Harris’ The Protestant Tutor,

which was printed in England before he left for New England in 1686

The American textbook for roughly 150 years (from around 1700 to 1850)

The earliest extant copy is the 1727 ed.

What Was Its Purpose?

To teach children how to read To instruct children in the ways of Puritanism To explain Christian salvation to children

An Example of Educational Climate at the Time of its Introduction

1647: An order of the “General Corte” of the Massachusetts Bay Colony stated that since it was Satan’s aim to keep people from knowing Scriptures… “It is therefore ordered, yet every towneship in

this jurisdiction after ye Lord hath increased…to ye number of 50 households, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teache all such children as shall resort to him to write and reade.”

The Author

Benjamin Harris London printer “Confirmed

scribbler” (a poet) Ardent Protestant Victim of the pillory

For writing and printing Protestant texts

His Career in New England

Moves to Boston in late 1686 Sets up a bookshop and

coffee-house Printed the first first

newspaper in America Printed The New England

Primer between 1687 & 1690

Returns to England in 1695 and a little after 1708

Contents

Letters of the alphabet Vowels, consonants, double letters “Easy Syllables for Children” “An Alphabet of Lessons for Youth” Lord’s Prayer Apostle’s Creed Later added:

John Rogers’ poem The Shorter Catechism John Cotton’s “Spiritual Milk for

Babes”

“Verses for Children” What it did not contain:

✠(cross pattèe, the iron cross or English cross) The cross found at the

beginning of the alphabet (“Christ’s Cross Row” or “Cris Cross Row”) present in almost all Catholic English primers and hornbooks

Changes

Example of its Evangelization (as opposed to anti-Catholicism) As seen through the changes in “An Alphabet of Lessons for Youth”

between 1740 and 1760 Changed from “The Cat doth play, / And after slay” to “Christ crucify’d /

For sinners dy’d” Example of its Secularization

At about 1790, the following poem was added to the Primer:“He who ne’er learns his A. B. C.Forever will a blockhead be.But he who learns his letters fairShall have a coach to take the air.”

While the Puritans believed that reading should be learned so that one may read the Bible, this is poem implies the belief that reading should be taught so that one may become more intelligent and enlightened.

Changes (as seen through images)

1727 ed.

Changes (as seen through images)

1777 ed.

Interesting Facts

Between 1687 & 1690 it was stolen and printed William Bradford in Philadelphia

A section of the N.E.P., “Verses for Children” is the source of this famous children’s prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keepIf I should die before I wakeI pray the Lord my soul to take”