Conclusion: Commercialization of the Readers

In the 1980s, the memory of McGuffey did not exist between communities of like-minded McGuffeyites, but in commercial goods. The Readers were not exchanged between nostalgic men and women who collected them because of fond memories. Instead, they were purchased for their conservative and religious values and commercial worth. The 1983-84 Smithsonian Catalog marketed the Readers as "Vintage Americana."

One company, United Telephone Company of Ohio, produced a promotional video, "The McGuffey Spirit," to advertise the company's financial contributions to state education. (1) The video traced all education in Ohio to the McGuffey Readers and argued that the Readers created the basic values on which the United States is built.

Another company, Mott Media, reissued the original Readers and promoted them avidly. Mott Media created "McGuffey's Eclectic Calendar," featuring birthdays of all American presidents, national holidays, major religious observances, and great moments in American history. Also, Mott Media published John Westerhoff's dissertation, "McGuffey and His Readers," which promoted the Readers and their inherent moral values. Westerhoff's book was originally an Ed.D. dissertation in 1975, and was likely unpublished. Yet Mott Media published his dissertation as a paperback in 1982 to promote Mott Media's reprinting of the McGuffey Readers.

Westerhoff, an Episcopal priest and professor of Religion at Duke University Divinity School, emphasized the religious nature of the books. He noted how the religious content of the books declined over time as the publishers exerted complete control over the Readers. He said, "Typically the values most frequently mentioned as significant in McGuffey's Readers are honesty, obedience, kindness, thrift, industry, and patriotism. Interestingly, few mention piety, the instrumental value actually found most often in the Readers." (2) He concluded, "As a representative of Protestants living on the Middle Border in the early nineteenth century, McGuffey helps us... to better understand our forebears' concern for piety, morality, and education." (3)

Near the back of the book, Mott Media included advertising material to advertise their reprints of the original Readers. The advertisement said, "Although they bear the McGuffey name, the later revisions secularized the earlier Eclectic Readers by removing passages concerning faith in Jesus Christ, piety, theology, virtue, morality, and Christian spiritual growth." The advertisement continued, saying, "Return to the basics... readin', 'riting, 'rithemetic, and religious convictions!" After the advertisements are five pages of tear-out order forms that read, "Yes! I'm convinced... Send me a set today!"

The back cover of the book has a quote from Dr. Carl Bode, Professor of English at the University of Maryland, who said, "Let's bring back McGuffey's Readers - it would expose young men and women to good literature, self-discipline, and traditional moral values." A second quote on the back from Dr. Paul Kienel, the Executive Director of the Association of Christian Schools International, said, "I urge every Christian school educator to read McGuffey and His Readers by John Westerhoff. It will give you insight into the biblical foundations of America's early school curriculum. You'll be amazed at how Christ-centered McGuffey's Readers actually were! McGuffey did much to strengthen the spiritual vitality of early American through his Readers."

Mott Media's campaign was relatively successful since, briefly during the 1980s, many rural schools introduced McGuffey's Eclectic Readers. A Mott Media promotional booklet advertised, "The Classic Curriculum, Learning to Read the McGuffey Way," with "Phonics foundation, Individualization, Rich vocabulary, Moral growth, Bible truth, Vigorous thinking, Proven success." (4)

The Readers are currently used only for Christian homeschooling, but are widely available for purchase on the Internet.