Introducing electric fields

The clear introduction of basic concepts and definitions is crucial for teaching any topic in physics. I have always found it difficult to teach fields. While searching for better explanations I hit on an approach of reading foundational texts and electromagnetic textbooks in ten year lots, ranging from 1840 to the present. By combining this with modern techniques of textual interpretation I attempt to clarify three introductory concepts: how the field is defined; the principle of superposition and the role of the electrostatic field in a circuit.