James W. Vining

Samuel Griswold Goodrich, a.k.a. Peter Parley, Early American Geographer.

Abstract Samuel Griswold Goodrich was one of Americas most prolific geography textbook writers. Under the pseudonym Peter Parley he was one of the best known education characters of the 19th-century. He was one of the 19th-century American geographers who was instrumental in acquiring a popular place for geography in 19th-and early 20th-century American education and culture. Goodrich, the son of a minister, presented geography and other textbooks which were profusely illustrated and written in language that was appealing to youngsters for whom Peter Parley/Goodrich books were purchased. The fact that he was writer/publisher of 28 geographies and five atlases attest to the productivity of this early American geographer and literary figure.