Editing Noah Webster (section)

==Early life and education==
Webster was born on October 16, 1758, in the [[Noah Webster House]] in western [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], [[Connecticut Colony]], during the Colonial Era. The area of his birth later became [[West Hartford, Connecticut]]. He was born into an established family, and the Noah Webster House continues to highlight his life and serves as the headquarters of the West Hartford Historical Society. His father, Noah Webster Sr. (1722–1813), was a descendant of Connecticut Governor [[John Webster (governor)|John Webster]]; his mother Mercy (Steele) Webster (1727–1794) was a descendant of Governor [[William Bradford (Plymouth governor)|William Bradford]] of [[Plymouth Colony]].<ref>Noah had two brothers, Abraham (1751–1831) and Charles (b. 1762), and two sisters, Mercy (1749–1820) and Jerusha (1756–1831).</ref> His father was primarily a farmer, though he was also a deacon of the local [[Congregational church]], captain of the town's militia, and a founder of a local book society, a precursor to the public library.<ref>Kendall, Joshua, ''The Forgotten Founding Father'', p. 22.</ref> After American independence, he was appointed a justice of the peace.<ref>Kendall, p. 22.</ref>

Webster's father never attended college, but placed a strong emphasis on education. Webster's mother spent long hours teaching her children spelling, mathematics, and music.<ref>Kendall, pp. 21–23.</ref> At age six, Webster began attending a dilapidated one-room primary school built by West Hartford's Ecclesiastical Society. Years later, he described the teachers as the "dregs of humanity" and complained that the instruction was mainly in religion.<ref>Kendall, pp. 22–24.</ref> Webster's experiences there motivated him to improve the educational experience of future generations.<ref>Kendall, p. 24.</ref>

At age fourteen, he received tutoring from his church pastor in Latin and Greek to prepare him for entering [[Yale College]].<ref>Kendall, pp. 29–30.</ref> Webster enrolled at Yale just before his 16th birthday, and during his senior year studied with [[Ezra Stiles]], Yale's president. He was also a member of [[Brothers in Unity]], a secret society at Yale. His four years at Yale overlapped the [[American Revolutionary War]] and, because of food shortages and the possibility of a British invasion, many classes were held in other towns. Webster served in the Connecticut Militia. His father mortgaged the farm to send Webster to Yale, but after graduating, Webster had little contact with his family.<ref>Richard Rollins, ''The Long Journey of Noah Webster'' (1980) p. 19.</ref>