Semiquincentennial.

First of all, most Americans are absolutely befuddled by the name of this year’s wonderful 250th anniversary of the United States’ birth.

But we are classical education, Christian homeschoolers, so we faint not in the face of such adversity.

Actually, it’s pretty easy to figure out, based on the English alone!  But for the sake of our readers who are learning Latin, let us approach it as Latin learners.  Let’s dive in!

The half-of-the-500 year anniversary of the birth of the United States of America.

Even from the English standpoint, between semi (like semi-circle, half-circle), quin (quintuplets), and centennial, this is easy.

Classical, Christian homeschoolers, we’ve got this!  Let us be not afraid of the semiquincentennial!!!!!

Great Semiquincentennial Family Read-Aloud.

In honor of this special anniversary of the founding of the United States, our family is reading Noah Webster’s History of the United States this summer, and it is so delightful that I have to share it with you!

Noah Webster was 15 years old, and in his second year at Yale, when the Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain.  He, his father and brothers, and his teachers and classmates were all strong supporters of the patriot cause.  After the War for Independence, he was very active in support of the Constitution.  He met many of the founding fathers of America, and was active in politics throughout his lifetime.

Although a lawyer by training, Webster’s lifelong work was in the education of youth.  He devoted himself to helping America’s children receive good educations through his Speller, Grammar, Reader, and Dictionary.  In all of these, he created a curriculum that was not only excellent, but also distinctively American.

Webster believed that American children should have an American education.  He wanted to write a book to train students in reading and speaking, and he thought that the history of the United States would provide the perfect material for it!  He had lived through the events of the founding of the United States, and knew firsthand many of the people involved, so he knew he could provide an accurate account for American children.

What I Love about It.

There are four things I am just loving about Webster’s History of the United States.

Great Writing.

Webster’s purpose was to teach young people mastery of the English language (the history of the United States is just the medium he is using for that purpose!), so he crafts every sentence beautifully.

Rich vocabulary.

In the same way, Webster uses wonderfully rich language, enriching our children’s (and our!) vocabularies.

Primary Source History.

In a day when everybody’s got a different version of America’s founding period, it’s hard to know what the truth really is.  Webster lived through it, and published his book at a time when all of the other people who lived through it were still alive.  If he had produced a “history” with false information, people would’ve called him out on it.  They didn’t.  His book was published, and widely read and appreciated.  I love being able to read, for myself and my children, a beautifully-written history that I can trust.

Christian Worldview.

Webster understood that God created the world, that all men are sinful and rebellious apart from His grace, and that He is active in all human events.  Webster’s history is more accurate than most others because it does not pretend like the Most Important Person involved in these doings doesn’t even exist.

Complete.

In our family, we laugh and say that Webster’s history tells the whole history of the United States—it goes all the way back to the Creation of the world!  (Don’t worry, it quickly passes onto our earliest ancestors in Europe, and the early inhabitants of the New World.)  But it does lay the groundwork for the history of the United States by beginning at the Beginning; it’s just right.

Where to Find It

Webster wrote a lot of books, so just to make sure you find the very history book I’m telling you about, I looked up current links.  (If you’re reading this article later and the links don’t work, the exact title is: History of the United States, by Noah Webster.)

Here’s a link on Amazon (we don’t collect any affiliate revenue; I just looked it up for you to help you find exactly the right book), and here is where you can get the ebook for free.

Happy reading!  And happy Semiquincentennial!!!

Have you read this book or any others by Noah Webster?  What do you think of his work?  Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for dropping by; please keep us in prayer!