New England Primer

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New England Primer

• A Puritan Text

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What was it?

• Calvinist school book
• Published by Benjamin Harris between 1683 and
  1690
• Sold more than 5,000,000 copies

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What was included?

• Alphabet
• Rhyming couplets
• Woodcuts
• Old Testament History
• Religious songs
• Moral lessons

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Examples
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Examples
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Prayers

• Now I lay me down to sleep,
• I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep
• If I should die before I wake,
• I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take.
• 1784 ed.

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Good Children

• GOOD children should remember daily, God their
  Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier to believe in,
  love and serve him their parents to obey them in
  the LORD their bible and catechism their
  baptism the LORD's day the LORD's death and
  resurrection their own death and resurrection
  and the day of judgment, when all that are not
  fit for heaven must be sent to hell. And they
  Should pray to GOD in the name of CHRIST, for
  saving grace. 

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Your Turn

• Create a moral lesson acrostic (ABCs) for those
  new freshmen to Lebanon High School.