Colonial days

Back in the days when I was a high school teacher, I loved teaching early American literature. In that I could also teach early Colonial history. I have been reading a book that I missed when it came out: Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death--it is fine! I recommend it, especially to overwrought TV fanatics.

At any rate, in one of the first chapters, he writes about the literacy rate of early Americans. He says that between 1640 and 1700, the literacy rate for men in Mass. and Conn. was somewhere between 89 and 95%, "quite probably the highest concentration of literate males to be found anywhere in the world at that time." (Women's was 62%--they didn't go to school) I think of this every time I hear some athletes interviewed on television (or rappers). Where has literacy gone? He also said that in the very first days of colonization, each minister was given 10 pounds with which to start a religious library. How many of your churches have one?

The Bay Psalm Book (which every household had) was printed in 1640 and is highly regarded as our country's first best-seller. The best-sellers today are mysteries and political rantings.

Schooling for colonial young was consider a moral duty and an intellectual imperative. Reading was not regarded as an elitist activity, but was spread out into all classes.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense sold more than half a million copies. A book today with our population would have to sell 24 million copies to do as well.

I will add that today we consider being able to read the label on a soup can as literacy. Can many of our students read Thomas Paine?

I would be happy if every American could read a soup can label, but I wish we would stretch a little higher like our forefathers and foremothers.