Dublin Core
Title
James Powell Mathematics Textbook
Subject
Early Education
Description
In rural parts of Central Virginia in the early 1800s children were home-schooled when there were few alternatives. These pages are from a home made mathematics textbook; the leather cover was home tanned, and the writing was done with a quill pen, using ink made from oak galls.
In the first picture, the right hand page describes the Rule of Reciprocal Proportion, while on the left the student works out how much 264 units of silk will cost when he (or she) knows the price per unit, and dates the answer July 22nd, 1813. At that date, pounds (£), shillings (S) and pence (D), with 20 shillings to the pound, were in use in the US, although the Federal Government was beginning to issue dollars. At 17 Shillings per unit (it is not clear what that unit is), the student comes to the correct answer - £224.8.00 – and writes it with a flourish.
In the second picture James Powell’s signature, with flourishes, can be seen on the right hand page. He lived in what became Greene County in 1838, but in 1813 was still Orange County.
Gift of Mrs. Lacuta Powell Parrott, whose ancestor James Powell used the book.
In the first picture, the right hand page describes the Rule of Reciprocal Proportion, while on the left the student works out how much 264 units of silk will cost when he (or she) knows the price per unit, and dates the answer July 22nd, 1813. At that date, pounds (£), shillings (S) and pence (D), with 20 shillings to the pound, were in use in the US, although the Federal Government was beginning to issue dollars. At 17 Shillings per unit (it is not clear what that unit is), the student comes to the correct answer - £224.8.00 – and writes it with a flourish.
In the second picture James Powell’s signature, with flourishes, can be seen on the right hand page. He lived in what became Greene County in 1838, but in 1813 was still Orange County.
Gift of Mrs. Lacuta Powell Parrott, whose ancestor James Powell used the book.
Creator
James Powell
Source
Greene County Historical Society Collections
Publisher
Greene County Historical Society
Date
1813
Contributor
Greene County Historical Society
Rights
GCHS Copyright Policy
Language
English
Type
Textbook
Identifier
039_1985.46.02
Contribution Form
Online Submission
No