Christian Nationalism in Noah Webster’s Lexicography
Finegan explores the expression of Noah Webster’s religious convictions and nationalistic beliefs as expressed in An American Dictionary of the English Language. He reviews Webster’s changing values over the course of his life, from idealistic enthusiasm surrounding the American Revolution to political disillusionment and intensified religious conviction later in his life. Becoming a born-again Christian in 1808, Webster adopted religious beliefs that shaped not only his personal life but also his etymologies, choice of illustrative quotations, and the very tone of his 1828 American Dictionary as a whole. While the definitions in the 1828 work are now most notably promoted in conservative religious contexts, Webster’s earlier and more secular Compendious Dictionary, first published in 1806, is consulted in a wider span of viewpoints in the United States today.