He believed Americans should have their distinctive national language: “Nothing can be more ridiculous than a servile imitation of the manners, the language, and the vices of foreigners”

Webster published a spelling guide, a grammar, and a reader as part of A Grammatical Institute of the English Language (1783-5)

In 1800 he began work on his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language (appeared in 1806, containing c. 28,000 words)

In 1828, An American Dictionary of the English Language (by Webster), in two volumes, with c. 70,000 words appeared