Home bound almanacs
Collection: National Museum of American History
Object type: book
date made: 1800-1833
place printed and publishedl: United States: New England
place printed and published: United States: New York
Physical Description: cloth, cotton (overall material)
paper (overall material)
Measurements: overall-open: 2 1/2 in x 15 in x 7 1/4 in; 6.35 cm x 38.1 cm x 18.415 cm
Credit line: Gift of John Brenton Copp
Topics: Copp Collection
Description: This object contains almanacs published from 1800-1833, hand-bound together in tan linen. The almanac (archaically spelled almanack) spread valuable information during a time when newspapers were scarce. Their popularity with the public and low overhead made them attractive for publishers as well. While almanacs may be known for their farmer’s calendar or weather forecasts, they also served as calendars that marked holidays and feast days, and notable historic dates. The calendar also tracked the transit of celestial bodies and included related astrological guidance. Additional materials included literary extracts, poetry, a list of roads and their mileage to major cities, medical advice, cooking recipes, patent notices, rates of interest, short histories, political discussions, schedules of courts, and practical advice. The diversity of topics made the almanac useful for every strata of society, creating an early form of mainstream culture. Almanacs were usually just bound by sewing, but the Copp’s compiled these into one bound volume, speaking to its usefulness as a resource even after the year they were published had passed.
The Copp Collection contains about 150 books of early American imprint and shows a wide range of reading matter typical of a New England Puritan family living in a port town. Literacy was expected of many New Englanders, as Puritan doctrine required everyone to read the Bible. The abundance of multiple Bibles, psalms, hymnodies, sermons, and morality tales reflects the Copp’s religious beliefs. Other highlights of the library include the works of Shakespeare, almanacs, historical and political texts, and travel narratives.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
ROADS.
  (No. 1.) (No. 111.)   Read from New-London to Turnpike Road to Hartford.   New-Bedford, thro' Newport. Montville   Groton. 4 Colchester   Stonington. 5 Marlborough   Westerly (at the Bridge) 6 Glastenbury   Westerly. 7 East Hartford   Charlestown 8 Hartford, Court House,   Power-Hill 9   Ferry 10   Over the Ferry, ? 11   to Newport. 12   Howland's Ferry, (No. 112.)   Hiverton Read to New-Haven and   Poquonoc New-York.   New-Bedford 13 Lyme   14 Saybrook   (No. 11.) 15 Killingworth   Middle Road to Boston, thro' 16 Giltford   Providence. 17 Branford   Montville 18 New-Haven   Norwich (Chelsea) 19 Milford   (Town) 20 Stamford   Preston 21 Fairfield   Plainfield 22 Norwalk   Voluntown 23 Milford   Coventry 24 Milford   Scituate 25 Horse-Neck   Johnson 26 Rye   Providence 27 Mamaroneck   Boston 28 New-Rochelle   29 East-Chester   30 Long's Bridge   31 New-York   104 
FREEMEN'S MEETINGS, throughout the State of Connecticut, are held annually on the third Monday of September, and on the day following the first Tuesday in April.
James 9th Nov 1811
16 17 21 24 27 30
The New-England ALMANACK,
For the Year of Our Lord CHRIST, 1817:
Being the first after Bissextile or Leap Year; and the Forty-first of American Independence.
Fitted to the meridian of N. London, lat. 41° 25' N. But will answer without any essential variation, for either of the New-England States.
CONTAINING, Besides the ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATIONS A great variety of Matter, USEFUL AND ENTERTAINING.
The Astronomical calculations performed by NATHAN DABOLL.
NEW-LONDON: PRINTED AND SOLD BY SAMUEL GREEN.
P. Samuel Green Nov 1816