The Forgotten Founding Father

Joshua Kendall recounts the life of Noah Webster (1758-1843) who published the American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828, the forgoer of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Mr. Kendall argues that Mr. Webster was more than just America’s greatest lexicographer, but was also a Founding Father who helped define American culture. He talked about Mr. Webster’s political career as state representative for Massachusetts and Connecticut, his circle of friends, which included George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, and his tenure as editor of the American Minerva, New York’s first daily newspaper. He responded to questions from members of the audience. Joshua Kendall spoke at the Connecticut Historical Society and Museum in Hartford at an event co-sponsored by the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society and made possible by a grant from the Greater Hartford Arts Council. close