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Webster’s Schoolhouse

Timeline of Noah’s Life

  • 1758

    On October 16th Noah was born, the fourth child of Noah Sr. and Mercy Webster.1

  • 1772

    At age 14, Noah, along with 150 other boys, was taught by Nathanial Perkins, a local minister and Yale graduate, to prepare him for college. Under Perkins, Noah learned basic Latin and Greek and studied ancient classics and histories.2

  • 1774

    At age 16, Noah went to Yale University in New Haven. His father was committed to his son’s education, even mortgaging the family farm to pay Noah’s tuition.3

  • 1778

    Upon graduating from Yale, Noah yearned for further education. He hoped to one day attend law school. However, Noah’s father could only provide Noah with $8 from his savings (worth $2 silver) to help pay for law school. Noah was devastated, realizing that his dreams of attending law school would have to be put on hold. Instead, he would be a teacher and took a job as a schoolmaster in Glastonbury. 4

  • 1779

    The winter of 1779 was one of the coldest in centuries. Noah Webster was working at the Brick School House in Hartford with colleague and friend Oliver Ellsworth. Webster fell ill in these cold months, causing him to move back to his boyhood home in West Hartford. Webster began working in the one room schoolhouse he attended as a boy, walking four miles through “drifts of snow which completely covered the adjoining fences.” It was here where Webster realized the horrid conditions that schoolchildren faced in these schoolhouses, leading him to publish a series of essays advocating for school reform.5

  • 1780

    Through a family friend, Noah arranged to study law under Jedediah Strong, a judge and register of deeds in Litchfield. Noah moved to Litchfield, CT to become Strong’s assistant. Later, he opened a school in Sharon, CT.6

  • 1783

    Webster published the “Blue-Backed Speller” and opened a law office in Hartford.7

  • 1785

    Webster published Sketches of American Policy, a series of four essays outlining a plan “for a new constitution of the United States.” This publication predated the United States Constitution, introducing the importance of democracy to the American people. It was read by many prominent Founding Fathers, such as James Madison, and covered a broader range of issues than any other published Federalist document before the Constitutional Convention.8

  • 1785-89

    Noah visited and lectured in numerous middle and southern states to garner support from teachers, churchmen, and other influential figures for his textbooks and for copyright legislation and moved to Philadelphia.9

    Moved to New York City and founded “The American Magazine in December 1887 with the motto, “Science the guide, and truth the eternal goal.” featuring essays on the new Constitution, history, education, and good morals. It was the first modern American magazine.10

    Published Dissertations on the English Language.

    Married Rebecca Greenleaf and moved back to Hartford, CT.

  • 1789

    Noah brought Rebecca to his birthplace home in West Hartford to meet his family.

    “Mr. Webster’s mother shed tears when she saw me for the first time. Most of the family were together; the little children crouded round their new aunt & admird her cloaths (for you must know I had on my green brocade) [.] we past an agreable day, return’d as we went— in a close carriage and caught no colds notwithstanding the storm which was very violent.”

    – Rebecca in a letter to her brother, John11

  • 1790

    Noah’s family sold their home to the Hurlburts.

    Noah and Rebecca’s daughter, Emily is born.13

    Additional works by Noah were published, including, 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.14

  • 1798

    Noah and Rebecca’s family moved to New Haven. Noah served in the state legislature.

  • 1798

    Noah and Rebecca’s family moved to New Haven. Noah served in the state legislature.

  • 1799

    Daughter, Mary was born.15

    Webster’s two-volume work, A Brief History of Epidemic and Pestilential Diseases, was the world’s first study of epidemic diseases and became the standard text on the subject in medical schools around the world for much of the nineteenth century.16

  • 1801

    First son, William was born.17

  • 1803

    Daughter, Eliza was born.18

  • 1806

    Son, Henry was born.

    Publishes A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. This was Webster’s first attempt at a Dictionary. This edition included 40,000 words and their definitions.19

  • 1808

    Daughter, Louisa was born in 1808.20

  • 1812

    Moved to Amherst, Massachusetts; served in the state legislature, and helped found Amherst College.

  • 1813

    Noah’s father, Noah Sr. died and was buried next to his wife in West Hartford’s Center Cemetery.

  • 1822

    Moved to New Haven and got his LL.D (honorary 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. This edition collected the information Webster gathered in his overseas travels, containing 70,000 words and their definitions.21

    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 84. He is buried in the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven with his wife, Rebecca.22

1: Harlow Giles Unger, Noah Webster: The Life and Times of An American Patriot, (New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1998), ix.

2: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 12.

3: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 12.

4: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 34; Joshua Kendall, The Forgotten Founding Father, (New York, NY: Penguin Publishing Group, 2010), 53.

5: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 35.

6: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 36-37.

7: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, ix.

8: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 82-89.

9: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 83.

10: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 140.

11: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 160.

12: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, ix.

13: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, ix.

14: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, ix.

15: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

16: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, 230.

17: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

18: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

19: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

20: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

21: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

22: Noah Webster: The Life and Times, x.

Kendall, Joshua, The Forgotten Founding Father, (New York, NY: Penguin Publishing Group, 2010).

Unger, Harlow Giles, Noah Webster: The Life and Times of An American Patriot, (New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1998).