Noah Webster: the Man and the Dictionary [NEW for 2016]

Few life stories are as quintessentially American as that of Noah Webster  (1758-1843). Today, he is most remembered for his namesake dictionary, which helped Americans identify their language as not merely a European import, but something that captured the awakening spirit of a new nation. Lesser known is his influence on the framers of the Constitution: Webster’s ideas and his respected reputation helped influence many of that document’s key tenets. It was even Webster who set himself to the task of compiling the first U.S. Census—just because it seemed somebody should. This performance presents a fascinating panorama of the life of one of America’s most important and most overlooked legends.