American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and novelist Noah Webster Jr. lived from October 16, 1758, to May 28, 1843. The "Father of American Scholarship and Education" is how some have referred to him. He taught spelling and reading to five generations of American children using his "Blue-backed Speller" books. In the United States, the word "dictionary" has come to be associated with Webster's name, particularly with the contemporary Merriam-Webster dictionary, which debuted in 1828 as an American Dictionary of the English Language. Webster, who was born in West Hartford, Connecticut, earned his Yale College degree in 1778. After studying law under Oliver Ellsworth and others, he passed the bar test but could not get a job as a lawyer. By starting a private school and penning a number of instructional publications, such as "Blue-Backed Speller," he was able to achieve some financial success. Webster, who was a fervent advocate of the American Revolution and the passage of the US Constitution, later complained that American society lacked an intellectual basis. Because American ideals were superior, he thought that American nationalism was superior to that of Europe.
