Ezra Sampson’s Youth’s Companion; or a Historical Dictionary; consisting of Articles Chiefly selected from Natural and Civil History, Geography, Astronomy, Zoology, Botany and Mineralogy; arranged in Alphabetical Order was published by Websters and Skinners of Albany, New York in 1816. As the title suggests, the book was written as an encyclopedia for children and young adults on geography, with small histories and facts included for each place.
The Copp Collection contains about 150 books of early American imprint and shows a wide range of reading matter typical of a New England Puritan family living in a port town. Literacy was expected of many New Englanders, as Puritan doctrine required everyone to read the Bible. The abundance of multiple Bibles, psalms, hymnodies, sermons, and morality tales reflects the Copp’s religious beliefs. Other highlights of the library include the works of Shakespeare, almanacs, historical and political texts, and travel narratives.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
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