User:KRSciller/Stephen Daye

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Most historians believe the 1639 broadsheet Oath of a Freeman was Daye's first publication. This print was an oath of loyalty and duty required of all new colonists in Massachusetts Bay. Accepting the full responsibilities of citizenship in the settlement was symbolized by taking the Oath. However, this work may have actually come second, following the printing of the first almanac composed by William Pierce. Pierce's almanac, as was typical, commenced with the month of March, which according to English law and custom was the first month of the year, rather than the Gregorian calendar that began in January. In 1640, he printed the Bay Psalm Book, the first book published in the American colonies. The Bay Psalm Book was an attempt at a new English translation of the 150 Hebrew psalms and then arranged in verse for singing. Because the Psalms were translated for communal singing, the book served as one of the symbols of religious freedom for people in the colonies. The books first edition was printed in an estimated 1,700 copies, which were then sold. However, the print was full of errors and discrepancies which can still be seen on the original print. Currently, only eleven copies remain. The next year, 1641, Daye was rewarded for his work with three hundred acres of land.