Editing Jacob Abbott (section)

== Career ==
From 1825 to 1829 Abbott was professor of mathematics and [[natural philosophy]] at [[Amherst College]];<ref name="EB" /> was licensed to preach by the Hampshire Association in 1826; founded the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in [[Boston]] in 1829, and was principal of it in 1829–1833;<ref name="EB" /> was pastor of [[Eliot Congregational Church]] (which he founded), at [[Roxbury, Massachusetts]] in 1834–1835; and was, with his brothers, a founder, and in 1843–1851 a principal of Abbott's Institute, and in 1845–1848 of the Mount Vernon School for Boys, in New York City.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. He wrote 180 books and was a coauthor or editor of 31 more.<ref name="EB" /> He died in [[Farmington, Maine]],<ref name="BDA1906" /> where he had spent part of his time after 1839, and where his brother, Samuel Phillips Abbott, founded the Abbott School.

His ''[[Rollo Books]]'', such as ''Rollo at Play'' and ''Rollo in Europe'', are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. In them Abbott did for one or two generations of young American readers a service not unlike that performed earlier, in England and the US, by the authors of ''Evenings at Home'', ''[[The History of Sandford and Merton]]'', and ''[[The Parent's Assistant]]''. To follow up his Rollo books, he wrote of ''Uncle George'', using him to teach the young readers about ethics, geography, history, and science. He also wrote 22 volumes of biographical histories and a 10 volume set titled the ''[[Franconia Stories]]''.<ref name="EB" />

His intention was to both amuse and educate, shown by this quotation from the Preface of ''Bruno'': <blockquote>The books, though called story books, are not intended to be works of amusement merely to those who may receive them, but of substantial instruction. The successive volumes will comprise a great variety, both in respect to the subjects which they treat, and to the form and manner in which the subjects will be presented; but the end and aim of all will be to impart useful knowledge, to develop the thinking and reasoning powers, to teach a correct and discriminating use of language, to present models of good conduct for imitation, and bad examples to be shunned, to explain and enforce the highest principles of moral duty, and, above all, to awaken and cherish the spirit of humble and unobtrusive, but heartfelt piety.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jacob|last=Abbott|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51859/51859-h/51859-h.htm|title=Bruno|date=1854|website=Project Gutenberg|accessdate=2022-03-06}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:Jacob Abbott House, Farmington, ME.jpg|thumb|''Fewacres'' in 1906, Abbott's residence at Farmington, Maine]]

His brothers, [[John Stevens Cabot Abbott]] and [[Gorham Dummer Abbott]], were also authors.  

See his ''Young Christian, Memorial Edition, with a Sketch of the Author'' by Edward Abbott with a bibliography of his works.

Other works of note: ''Lucy Books'', ''Jonas Books'', ''Harper's Story Books'', ''Marco Paul'', ''Gay Family'', and ''Juno Books''.