# Webster Feared Spelling Differences Would Become Political Factions by Ellen Holmes Pearson > “Webster argued that even the smallest regional differences in spelling and pronunciation could turn into political difference, resulting in dangerous factions.” > **— Ellen Holmes Pearson**, *“The Standardization of American English,” TeachingHistory.org* ## Sources and Context - **Source:** Ellen Holmes Pearson, Associate Professor of History, University of North Carolina Asheville, answer to [“The Standardization of American English”](https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/25489), *Ask a Historian*, TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse). - **Exact original:** “Webster argued that even the smallest regional differences in spelling and pronunciation could turn into political difference, resulting in dangerous factions.” No editorial change. - **Context:** Pearson's summary matches Webster's own 1789 sentence, “Our political harmony is therefore concerned in a uniformity of language.” She adds that Webster's 1783 speller and 1828 dictionary “helped to facilitate homogenization.” ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/War With Empire|War With Empire]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/war with empire/Authorship of the West|Authorship of the West]] - **Article:** [[articles/war with empire/The Monroe Doctrine, the British Substrate, and the Unfinished Decolonization of the Americas|The Monroe Doctrine, the British Substrate, and the Unfinished Decolonization of the Americas]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Authorship of the West|Authorship of the West]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Noah Webster|Noah Webster]] - [[wiki/An American Dictionary of the English Language|An American Dictionary of the English Language]] - [[wiki/Semantic Jurisdiction|Semantic Jurisdiction]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Webster argued that even the smallest regional differences in spelling and pronunciation could turn into political difference, resulting in dangerous factions.” — Ellen Holmes Pearson, “The Standardization of American English,” TeachingHistory.org https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-ellen-holmes-pearson-webster-spelling-political-factions ```