Timeline
of Noah’s
Life
(part of educational pages for adults)
1758 On
October 16th Noah was born, the 4th child of Noah
Sr. and Mercy Webster.
1772 At
age 14 Noah was taught by the local minister to
prepare him for college.
1774 At
age 16 Noah went to Yale University in New Haven.
1775 Noah
saw George Washington ( Commander in Chief of the
Army) as he passed through New Haven on his
way to Boston. Yale students serenaded Washington.
Noah played the flute.
1777 Noah,
his brothers and father tried to join the Battle
of Saratoga in New York but by the time they got
there, the battle had been won by the American
troops.
1778 Noah
graduated from Yale and wanted to study law but
his father couldn’t pay for it.
1779 After
teaching in Glastonbury, he began teaching in the
West District of Hartford (what we now know as
West Hartford) and lived in his childhood home.
1780 Noah
moved to Litchfield, CT to study law. He
opened a school in Sharon, CT.
1783-85 Published
the Blue Back Speller and opened a law office in
Hartford, but spent most of his time getting his
speller published and working on copyright legislation.
Additional
publications: Part 1 of A
Grammatical Institute of the English Language and Sketches
of American Policy ( a new plan of government)
1785-86 Lectured.
Visited states to get support for his textbooks
and for copyright legislation and moved to Philadelphia.
Moved
to New York City and founded “The
American Magazine, "featuring essays on the
new Constitution, history, education, and good
morals. Published Dissertations
on the English Language.
Married
Rebecca Greenleaf and moved back to Hartford, CT.
1789 Rebecca
met the Webster family in West Hartford.
1790 Noah’s
family sold their home to the Hurlburts. Noah
and Rebecca’s daughter, Emily is born. Additional
publications of Noah’s: Governor Winthrop’s
Journal; A
Collection of Essays and Fugitive Writings; The
Little Reader’s
Assistant; and “The
Prompter.”
1793 Moved
back to New York City. Began publication
of “The American Minerva” ( a Federalist
Party newspaper) and the semi-weekly “Herald”.
Daughter, Julia was born.
1794 Noah’s
mother, Mercy, died at age 67 and is buried in
West Hartford’s Center Cemetery.
1797 Daughter,
Harriet was born.
1798 Noah
and Rebecca’s family moved to New Haven. Noah
served in the state legislature.
1799 Daughter,
Mary was born.
1800 Publishes “A
Brief History Epidemic and Pestilential Diseases.”
1801 First
son, William was born.
1803 Daughter,
Eliza was born.
1806 Son,
Henry was born. Publishes “A Compendious
Dictionary of the English Language.”
1808 Daughter,
Louisa ( mentally challenged) was born in 1808.
1812 Moved
to Amherst, Massachusetts; served in the state
legislature, and helped found Amherst College.
1813 Noah’s
father, Noah Sr. died and is buried next to his
wife in West Hartford’s Center Cemetery.
1822 Moved
to New Haven and got his LL.D (Doctor of Law degree)
from Yale University; he traveled to France
and England to research the dictionary.
1828 Published An
American Dictionary of the English Language.
He
visited Washington, D.C to further copyright legislation,
addressed the House of Representatives and dined
with President Andrew Jackson.
1843 Noah
Webster died on May 28th at age 86. He is
buried in the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven
with his wife, Rebecca.
The Noah Webster House &