A History of the American Revolution
date: label: date made
content: 1824
notes: label: Description
content: Samuel Williams authored <i>A History of the American Revolution</i> in 1795 when it first appeared in monthly installments in <i>Rural Magazine</i>. This edition was compiled and published by William Storer, Jr. in 1824 and published in New Haven, Ct. The book was intended as a reading book for schools, to teach children about the history of the American Revolution. The preface notes that, “next to the Bible, the history of the American Revolution is most deservedly entitled to the attention and reverence of the youth.” The book was so popular that 13 editions were published from 1824 to 1831, including one from 1826 that the museum also owns. It speaks to its popularity among early colonists and its utility in teaching. The six woodcut illustrations have been hand painted with watercolors. The content emphasizes the war’s military battles and includes the standard patriotic narrative that featured the stories about the founders and military heroes. The war was viewed simplistically as a rights issue without any exploration of the global and economic perspectives and the only participants mentioned were white middle to upper class males. The book contains some marginalia consisting of signatures and a small drawing.
label: Description
content: Samuel Williams (1743-1817) was a minister, astronomer, author, newspaper editor, surveyor, social historian, philosopher, and founder/editor of the Rutland Herald. While a student at Harvard, he assisted John Winthrop on an expedition to Newfoundland. Williams modernized the teaching of science at Harvard, taught students as John Quincy Adams, and led a Harvard expedition to observe the solar eclipse of 1780 with permission from American privateers and British to conduct his trip. He was co-founder of the University of Vermont, and influential in the founding of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, contributing with scientific papers.
label: Description
content: 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 Collectio also 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.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: used
content: Educational Tools- History
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Copp Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of John Brenton Copp
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.006866.17
label: catalog number
content: 6866.17
label: accession number
content: 28810
objectType: label: Object Name
content: book
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (cover material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 1/8 in x 7 1/8 in x 7/8 in; 10.4775 cm x 18.0975 cm x 2.2225 cm