“Great Truths”

Chapter 1 begins with a short history of Horace’s childhood home in Salisbury, Connecticut, and then transitions to an overview of his educational experiences as an independent scholar and a student first at local grammar schools and then at Williams College and Yale. Horace’s reflections on Williams are mixed with those of his brothers John Milton and Myron to create a comprehensive understanding of collegiate life in the early republic. However, Horace’s education at Yale and his training under the Reverend Timothy Dwight in particular were fundamental to his later career, both as a minister and as an academic. This chapter also places Horace’s experiences in the context of the Second Great Awakening and the rise of American federalism.