18th century Horn Books

Here is a sweet little item I have wanted to make for years and never got around to until now.  This is called a Hornbook.  I know that sounds kind of funny but I'll give you a short history lesson.  Hornbooks were the first tool that children used in early America to learn their ABC's and vowels and they were invaluable for introducing a child to reading. They were first made of cow's horn that had been flattened by heat and had the paper with the lesson glued to it.  That's why they were called "horn"books.  They were in the shape of a paddle with a handle and string so the child could carry it around with them to learn.  Maybe there was only one available in the home and it was passed down from child to child.  The majority of our founding fathers and mothers used this little paddle at home.  Just think about it for a moment, very few people in the 18th century had formal schooling and were taught at home, yet some of the most brilliant and influential minds in the history of mankind started with just such a simple thing.  George Washington and Benjamin Franklin for example had no formal schooling whatsoever!  Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were mostly schooled at home or by itinerant tutors until they went to college.  Can you imagine getting into Harvard University today with just a home-school education?  John Adams did!  But what I think is the most important part of this little book is The Lord's Prayer at the bottom of the page.  In early America, it was just as important to know the precepts of God at an early age as it was to know your ABC's.  After all, the Bible was used in public schools in the beginning to teach children to read from.  What an important lesson we can learn from this simple little page.  Early Americans knew then what we have forgotten  today:  it says in Proverbs "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom".  If you are afraid of the times we live in today, and want to know how we can fix America and deal with the problems of this world, we must return to our founding spiritual roots.  We must pray and ask God to forgive this country for leaving him out of our government, our schools, and our lives.  He says "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land!  May God bless America but most importantly, may America Bless God!