Hoyt: Almanacs

The Diverse Audience of Poulson’s Town and Country Almanac, for the year of our lord, 1801

Like many almanacs from the period, Poulson’s Town and Country Almanac [1] (Poulson’s Almanac) contains practical advice for farmers, planters, and others who rely on the land to make a living. But, Poulson’s Town and Country Almanac is characterized by the mixed audience of townspeople and farmers that it seeks to reach. In addition to an “Advice to Farmers” section, it contains information for the townspeople within the Philadelphia region, such as a section labeled “American Law Report.” This suggests that the intended audience of Poulson’s Almanac was an intellectually and economically diverse group, including both townspeople and country farmers.

Poulson’s Town and Country Almanac was printed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Zachariah Poulson. Poulson was also the editor of the newspaper, Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser between the years 1801 and 1839 [2]. He purchased the paper from James Claypoole, then titled, Claypoole’s American Daily Advertiser [3] which was the successor of the Pennsylvania Packet, the first daily newspaper in the United States [4]. Poulson’s printing shop served, through its multiple publications, a large audience, both within the city of Philadelphia and beyond it. The wide variety of advice and information offered in Poulson’s Almanac reflects this wide and varied audience.

The “Advice to Farmers” section in Poulson’s Almanac, is proof that Poulson’s intended audience extended beyond the confines of the city. It contains information on topics ranging from “To preserve Butter Sweet” to “More about Manure” (see pages 30-32 of Poulson’s Almanac). For the country farmers who made their living off the land, far removed from the conveniences of Philadelphia, practical information like that provided in the “Advice to Farmers” section was essential to their ability to survive so far removed from the city.

Wealthy townspeople and businessman found equally helpful advice in Poulson’s Almanac. A section labeled “American Law Report” outlined the facts and decision of Benjamin S. Reeve, Esq., the local justice of the peace, in a case called Pelham v. Purdy (see page 40 of Poulson’s Almanac). While this information might have been of great importance to lawyers and other educated folk in the city of Philadelphia, it was of little importance to country farmers who read Poulson’s Almanac for its’ practical farming advice.

The wide variety of advice and information offered in Poulson’s Almanac reflects the varied interests of its’ readers. Being a “Town and Country” almanac, it must provide valuable information for both the townspeople of Philadelphia and the country farmers in the surrounding area. What this shows is that Poulson’s Almanac was not printed exclusively for one group or the other. It was printed for the benefit of both townspeople and country folk, people of diverse economic statuses, and intellectual interests. As a result, almanacs like Poulson’s Almanac became cultural touchstones for the people of Philadelphia because they were used an enjoyed by everyone, regardless of wealth or intelligence.

Works Cited

[1] Poulson’s Town and Country Almanac, for the year of our Lord, 1801. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Zachariah Poulson. https://archive.org/details/poulsonstowncoun1801shoe/mode/2up. Accessed 25 October, 2020

[2] “Zachariah Poulson.” The Library Company of Philadelphia. https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/digitool%3A95590. Accessed 25 October, 2020.

[3] Claypoole's American daily advertiser. 1796-1800. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). D.C. and S. Claypoole. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025867/. Accessed 25 October, 2020

[4] The Pennsylvania packet, and daily advertiser 1784-1790. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.). J. Dunlap and D.C. Claypoole. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83021129/. Accessed 25 October, 2020