Noah Webster's Advice to the Young

With direct appeal to the younger audience, Noah Webster's Advice to the Young, gently inculcates respect for authority, social responsibility, religious obligation, and productive citizenship. Of course, we know Webster through our tattered dictionaries, but he was more than lexicographer; he was "America's Schoolmaster." Webster's work conquered ignorance, and perpetuated the ideals of the new Republic. Indeed, he taught millions to read, and his books captivated young readers throughout the newly formed United States. Taken from two of his earlier works, Webster's "Advice" seeks to "enlighten the minds of youth in religious & moral principles," and "to restrain some of the common vices of our country." He speaks to the heart of America; he speaks to our children.