Noah Webster

This Noah Webster stamp features a portrait of lexicographer and author Noah Webster. He was born in Connecticut in 1758. As a teacher, Webster was interested in helping American children learn spelling and grammar. He compiled the colloquially named “Blue Backed Book” to teach children how to read, spell, and pronounce words. He later went on to publish his own dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language, in 1828; this volume distinguished American usage and spelling from British.