Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry
"Justin Morgan Had a Horse" is a historical novel by Marguerite Henry that chronicles the life of Joel Goss and his bond with Little Bub, a Morgan horse, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Vermont. The story begins with Joel's apprenticeship in 1795 and unfolds through a series of events that highlight the significance of the Morgan horse in American history. The narrative, enriched with vibrant illustrations by Wesley Dennis, explores themes of friendship, perseverance, and the challenges of growing up.
Henry’s meticulous research and attention to detail lend authenticity to the characters and settings, showcasing the cultural landscape of the time. The book has been recognized for its educational value and storytelling prowess, earning accolades like the Junior Scholastic Gold Seal Award and the Newbery Honor. The novel culminates in a triumphant reunion between Joel and Little Bub after the War of 1812, encapsulating a narrative of hope and resilience. The enduring popularity of the story has led to adaptations, including a film by Walt Disney Studios in 1972, cementing its place in American literature.
Subject Terms
Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry
First published: 1945; illustrated
Subjects: Animals, coming-of-age, and friendship
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Historical fiction
Time of work: 1795-1813
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: The Green Mountain country around Randolph, Vermont
Principal Characters:
Justin Morgan , an elderly singing master and schoolteacher who accepts the mongrel colt Little Bub as payment of a debtJoel Goss , an apprentice sawyer and innkeeper and the young student of Morgan, who gentles Little BubLittle Bub , a colt of unknown ancestry who founds the sturdy Morgan breedThomas Chase , a miller and innkeeper who is master and surrogate father to JoelEzra Fisk , a settler who leases Little Bub from MorganRobert Evans , Fisk’s hired hand, who enters Little Bub in pulling contests and races
Form and Content
From its dedication to Marguerite Henry’s own Morgan horse, Friday, and to her friend Fred Tejan, who gentled him, Justin Morgan Had Horse proceeds through eighteen chapters of straightforward chronology, beginning with Joel Goss’s apprenticeship in 1795 and ending with his recovery of Little Bub during the winter following the War of 1812. In her foreword, Henry establishes both the legendary qualities of the original Morgan horse and the authenticity of the breed’s contribution to the settling of the United States. The novel concludes with a page of acknowledgements (including descendants of Justin Morgan and of Joel Goss) and a list of more than sixty works that Henry consulted to provide an authentic historical and geographical setting.
Henry’s third-person narration, flavored with occasional letters and frequent conversations, allows the reader access to Joel’s thoughts and emotions as well as glimpses into the minds of his friends. Little Bub displays his personality by his actions and by his distinctive snorting nicker; in addition, the reader sees the Morgan horse through Joel’s loving eyes and through the comments of the Vermonters who admire the little stallion. Wesley Dennis’ vivid illustrations, occurring every two or three pages, enhance Henry’s depictions of her characters and especially of Little Bub.
Justin Morgan, the local singing master and schoolteacher, takes Joel as his helper on a summer-long trek to collect on a debt. Morgan accepts a pair of colts as payment. The muscular Ebenezer outshines Little Bub, who is thrown in for free, but Joel recognizes Little Bub’s potential and identifies strongly with the runt, being slight and awkward himself.
Upon their return to Vermont, Joel’s miserly father refuses to board Morgan any longer and insists that Joel immediately begin a seven-year apprenticeship with local sawyer and innkeeper Thomas Chase. Morgan finds lodging for himself and the colts nearby, and he arranges for Joel to gentle Little Bub after night school. Joel does so, supported by Morgan’s friendship and Chase’s fatherly understanding; he and the colt grow together until Morgan must sell Ebenezer and lease Little Bub to Ezra Fisk, an enterprising settler, to pay debts incurred during a lengthy illness.
Joel grieves deeply the loss of Little Bub’s companionship until fate, in the person of Fisk’s hired hand, Robert Evans, intervenes. Evans realizes that Morgan’s young stallion excels in hauling, running, and overall endurance. With Fisk’s permission, Evans enters Little Bub in a series of contests, all of which the Morgan horse wins. As Little Bub’s reputation spreads, Joel renews their friendship, until Morgan’s death parts boy and horse once more. For several years, Little Bub passes through a series of owners and out of Joel’s life, until the two are reunited by chance after the War of 1812. A grown man, Joel can at last buy the Morgan horse; the story ends triumphantly with President James Monroe riding Little Bub in a victory parade as Joel proudly recounts the horse’s deeds and declares his stallion “an American.”
Critical Context
Within three years of its publication, Justin Morgan Had a Horse won the Junior Scholastic Gold Seal Award and the Award of the Friends of Literature and was named a Newbery Honor Book. Because of her meticulous research, her careful attention to character development (both human and animal), and her ear for the details of regional language, Marguerite Henry earned numerous other awards during her prolific writing career, including the Newbery Medal. Her more than fifty books of biography, geography, history, and animal stories have made her a perennial favorite not only of young adult readers but also of their teachers, who find the books a nearly painless method of enriching classroom education and of encouraging outside reading. Young readers respond positively to Henry’s realistic scenes, believable protagonists, and satisfyingly hopeful outcomes—outcomes that occasionally earn her work the criticism of being sentimental. So famous are such novels as Misty of Chincoteague (1947), King of the Wind (1948), Born to Trot (1950), and Stormy, Misty’s Foal (1963), that Henry has been called “the poet laureate of horses.” The enduring appeal of Justin Morgan Had a Horse prompted Walt Disney Studios to adapt it for film in 1972.