Those studying music during the mid-nineteenth century in the United States began to experience music education through many of the models of pedagogy that are still in use at the present time. The use of a method book for music study was a new concept. A few more serious piano students traveled to Europe to study with the major performing artists of the day. As the number of homes with pianos increased, so did piano method books for home use. Women of the gilded age were encouraged to pursue music, most often for the purpose of playing at home and in salon settings, which gave rise to new methodologies such as Nathan Richardson's New Method for the Pianoforte. The intent of this study is to present a careful examination of Richardson's New Method and the context in which his method and the revisions appeared.