Benjamin Harris, a printer, journalist, author, and bookseller, was the most widely read author of children's books in seventeenth-and eighteenth-century America. His New England Primer served the dual purpose of teaching Puritan children to read as well as providing their religious instruction. Few books have influenced as many children for as long a period of time as has The New England Primer, with its reign of over 150 years as the fundamental reading material for children.

Little is known of Harris's life beyond what he published or wrote. He was a staunch, outspoken Anabaptist who possessed in large measure that sect's aversion to the Roman Catholic faith. Harris was a product of the volatile, intolerant period during which he lived. His frequent conflicts with the law were the result of the religious transitions in Restoration England, the lack of freedom of the press, and an unfortunate discernment in the...