Artifact: Royal Primer
Materials: Book
Dimensions:
Date: 1776
Origin: London
Collection: University of California Libraries
License: Public Domain
Ledger Entry: Royal Primmer (Primer)
Department: Literacy
Customer: Thomas Self
Ledger Page: 222
Imported From: In the mid eighteenth century primers would have been imported from England. The New England Primer, the first primer printed in the colonies, was not published until the end of the century.
Product Description
Primers were basic level educational books that contained topics such as the alphabet, syllables, and basic grammar lessons as well as religious content. They taught basic reading skills through sample sentences and standard prayers.
Citation: Monaghan, Jennifer E. Learning to Read and Write in Colonial America: Literacy Instruction and Acquisition in a Cultural Context. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2005.; Daniel Hahn. "Books of instruction." In The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature. Oxford University Press, 2015.
Historical Price: 6 pence; Modern USD: $5.6
Product Variations
The databases record six purchases of primers; four of these are unspecified primers and two are Royal Primers. The prices range from three pence to four shillings.
