Webster's Dictionary

This passage is about how Webster's dictionary became the standard American English reference.

Lexile Level: 1170L

Categories: History People & Places

While there are differences between the English that is spoken in America and that spoken in Great Britain, few would argue that they are different languages. But that's precisely what Noah Webster was advocating when, in 1800, he first proposed the idea of an American dictionary. At the time Webster was ridiculed. As much as Americans of the day rejoiced in their independence from England, they still felt strong social and cultural bonds with their former rulers. The idea of a separate language and dictionary was met with great opposition. But by the time Webster's "American Dictionary of the English Language" was printed in 1828, that sentiment had shifted. Populism and national pride were on the rise and so, too, was an embrace of strictly American words, such as "lengthy" and "caucus," and words spoken by the masses, such as "crock." It wasn't long before Noah Webster's dictionary became the standard American language reference.