The New-England primer enlarged. For the more easy attaining the true reading of English. To which is added, the Assembly of divines catechism

The New-England Primer, first printed in Boston around 1690, became one of the most successful children’s textbooks published in America during the 18th and early 19th centuries. This 1727 printing held by the Rare Book Division is the earliest known dated example. The contents of this small, pocketable volume varied slightly from one edition to the next, but typically contained a mix of secular and religious subjects—reading instruction coupled with moral lessons and Christian catechism. This amalgam of spiritual and earthly reflected the staunch faith from which it sprang, as the Puritans of New England believed the act of reading the Bible to be a central tenet of achieving salvation. The millions of copies of the primer sold often fell victim to heavy use, and relatively few survive.