This edition of Keeper’s Travels in Search of his Master was published by Johnson & Warner of Philadelphia in 1808. The tale recounts the adventures of a dog, Keeper, trying to return home to his master, and the people who he met on the way—some who treated him well and others with ill. Eventually Keeper came across a kindly woman named Caroline, and when his Master found him, Caroline had taken such good care of Keeper that Master and Caroline were married and they all lived happily ever after.
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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