In 1827, Samuel Goodrich introduced his soon-to-be-famous character, Peter Parley, an elderly, quirky, but also lovable old Bostonian who enjoys telling stories to children. With his gouty foot and crooked hat, Parley became so popular that other children’s writers attempted to copy his likeness.  By 1856, seven million copies of Goodrich’s books had been sold and about three hundred thousand volumes were being marketed annually around the world. Goodrich explains in the preface that this particular book was meant to be instructive: “The design of this little work is to convey to children, under the guise of amusement, the first ideas of Geography and History.”

Boston Public Library, Rare Books & Manuscripts