A Letter from Elizabeth Webb to Anthony William Boehm, with His Answer
📘 About This Book
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars. Delve into what it was like to live during the eighteenth century by reading the first-hand accounts of everyday people, including city dwellers and farmers, businessmen and bankers, artisans and merchants, artists and their patrons, politicians and their constituents. Original texts make the American, French, and Industrial revolutions vividly contemporary. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ Bodleian Library (Oxford) W013441 Philadelphia: Printed and sold by Joseph Crukshank, in Market-Strert [sic], MDCCLXXXI. [1781]. 44 p.; 12°
📖 Summary
A Letter from Elizabeth Webb to Anthony William Boehm, with His Answer offers a fascinating window into the intellectual and spiritual landscape of the eighteenth century. Published in its modern print format through extensive historical preservation efforts, this concise forty-eight-page work brings contemporary readers face to face with authentic correspondence from a transformative era. The eighteenth century was marked by a wealth of knowledge, rapid exploration, and growing technology, all supported by the expanding record-keeping capabilities made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve this century of revolution, modern archiving initiatives have digitized epic volumes of historical texts, transforming rare manuscripts into accessible resources for libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars alike. This particular volume preserves the direct, unfiltered communication between Elizabeth Webb and Anthony William Boehm, offering a rare look at the personal thoughts, beliefs, and exchanges of individuals living during a time of immense global shift. Rather than relying on secondary interpretations or textbook summaries, readers are invited to delve directly into what it was actually like to live during the 1700s through first-hand accounts. The book captures the authentic voice of the era, reflecting the values, communication styles, and intellectual rigor of everyday people, thinkers, and writers of the past. As part of a broader movement to democratize historical archives, this publication allows modern audiences to study the nuances of eighteenth-century epistolary culture. Whether used for academic research or personal enrichment, the exchange provides valuable context regarding how people processed the world around them during a century defined by progress and change. By holding these original words in print, contemporary readers can better appreciate the continuity of human thought and the meticulous preservation efforts that keep our historical record alive.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Provides authentic first-hand historical documentation from the eighteenth century.
Brings rare manuscript material out of archives and into accessible print form.
Ideal for undergraduate students and independent scholars conducting historical research.
Offers a concise read that can be analyzed quickly without losing contextual depth.
⚠️ Cons
The brevity of the forty-eight-page text may leave readers wanting more extensive commentary.
Written in eighteenth-century prose, which might require extra effort for casual readers to parse.
❓ FAQ
Who wrote the letters in this book? +
The book contains a letter written by Elizabeth Webb addressed to Anthony William Boehm, along with his response.
When was the original correspondence written? +
The letters date back to the eighteenth century, a period marked by significant knowledge expansion and printing advancements.
Who is the publisher of this modern edition? +
This edition is made available through Gale, which specializes in digitizing and printing original historical manuscripts.
How long is the book? +
The publication spans forty-eight pages, making it a concise yet rich historical read.
What makes this publication valuable for researchers? +
It provides direct, unedited access to primary source material from the 1700s, aiding academic study and historical preservation.

