The New England Primer
Image
An image of the New England Primer printed by Franklin and Hall in Philadelphia in 1760. This little book, though incomplete, is one of two known in existence out of the 37, 000 printed and sold by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall between 1749 and 1766. The New England Primer, originally published in Boston in the late 17th century, was the first printed textbook in the American colonies. As a result of its enormous distribution and availability nearly everywhere, it represented a step toward literacy and English language skills for colonial Americans and for generations to follow. This copy is in the collection of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center in Pennsburg, PA.