18th Century Ciphering Book - 1789-1790

Description

18th Century Ciphering Book - 1789-1790
18th Century Ciphering Book - 1789-1790
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Description
18th-Century Ciphering Book – "Asa Sherman, His Book".  Kept by Asa Sherman.  Marshfield, [Massachusetts]: 1789-1790.
This soft-cover ciphering book is approximately 8” x 12.5”. It contains 64 pages of mathematical exercises. The front cover is present; the rear cover has perished. The pages are in nice shape and soundly bound; the cover is worn and soiled. It was written while Asa was 16 years old, as, in it, he records his birthday as April 12, 1773.
Ciphering books were prepared as part of the basic mathematical training of relatively well-off American students, usually boys. Most, like this one, contain examples of the Numeration, Addition, Subtraction, Compound Multiplication, Reduction, Compound Reduction, Rule of Three, Indirect Proportion, Vulgar Fractions, Compound Proportions, The Double Rule of Three, Avoirdupois Weight, Troy Weight Long and Land Measure, etc.
In addition to providing mathematical basics, boys venturing into trades or businesses needed advanced or specialized training in mathematics.
In this case, it would appear that Asa may have been preparing for future work in commerce as his ciphering book contains additional tasks titled: The Pence Table, Addition of Money, Wine-Measure, Cloth-Measure, Tare Weight, Compound Interest, “Rules of Practice [for] most sorts of Goods or Merchantdize,” Brokage, Rebate, etc.
Online genealogical records show that Asa became a wealthy farmer and the owner of a coastal vessel. He married and had a large family. Asa died in 1870 at the age of 97.
18th-century American ciphering books are scarce as the overwhelming majority of extant examples date from the early 1800s into the mid-1850s.
For more information about ciphering books, see Kilpatricki's
Rewriting the History of School Mathematics . . . The Central Role of Cyphering Books
, Anderies's
Learning Mathematics in North America
at the University of Pennsylvania's Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica, and Doer's master's thesis:
Cipher Books
in the Southern Historical Collection. University of North Carolina.
#
9527
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This is a Read'Em Again Books sale. Read'Em Again books is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the Ephemera Society, the Manuscript Society, the American Philatelic Society (APS), the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and the Military Postal History Society (MPHS).
We hope that you'll take some time to visit both our eBay store and our larger Read'Em Again Books on-line bookstore. We think that you'll find our prices to be very competitive with other internet book sellers. In addition to a nice selection of Americana, diaries, journals, photograph albums, and other unique personal narratives, we also maintain a small stock of children's books, illustrated books, unusual non-fiction as well as ephemera, philatelic items, prints, sheet music, maps, and occassionally postcards, antique toys & games, tobacciana, and breweriana.
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