James Monteith

James Monteith (1831–1890) was an American educator and textbook writer best known for his geography books. He was born in Strabane, Ireland, came to the United States as a child, and spent his life in New York City, where he worked for many years in the public school system.

Monteith became widely known through schoolbooks such as First Lessons in Geography and many later geography titles published by A.S. Barnes and other firms. Listings from major library catalogs and public-domain editions show how extensively his books circulated, especially in classrooms during the second half of the 19th century.

What stands out about his work is its practical teaching style. His books were designed for beginners as well as more advanced students, using maps, illustrations, and step-by-step lessons to make geography easier to teach and remember. No clearly suitable portrait image could be confirmed from the sources reviewed, so none is included here.