The Young American: or Book of Government and Law
The Young American: or Book of Government and Law
The Young American: or Book of Government and Law, one of the earliest civic textbooks for students, helped educate America’s growing population, and its future leaders, about the history and blessings of democracy.
This book is as important today as it was in 1842 to help educate citizens about the moral, virtuous, and civic foundations of democracy.
By republishing important US literary documents that influenced US Constitutional Policy during the western expansion of the United States, our mission is to reintroduce the past into the present to inspire the future.
Between 1827 and 1857, approximately seven million of Goodrich’s books on history, geography, science, and education were sold. Nearly every well-educated American citizen during that time was familiar with Goodrich’s works.
In Hawaii, Goodrich’s books - including those written for children under his pen name Peter Parley – were well-read volumes in the libraries of American missionary families across the Islands. At the Royal School in Honolulu, the young ali‘i who went on to rule Hawaii, read American and world history books published by Goodrich.