Introduction

The American Revolution started about 250 years ago on April 19, 1775. Another significant anniversary is coming up next year—July 4, 1776 is the date of the Declaration of Independence. As we mark these important milestones, it is worth considering the role that print played in helping get our country out from under colonial rule by the British.

The Most Lethal Weapon

In a radio interview with WGBH Boston, Museum of Printing President Frank Romano called the printing press “the most lethal weapon of the American Revolution.” That same sentiment is on a sign at the Museum next to a replica of an 18th century English Common Press, one of the most common printing presses in the colonies at the time. As Massachusetts celebrates the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, that replica press is on loan to the Museum of Printing. For many years previously, that press was part of the Printing Office of Edes and Gill, located near the Old North Church in Boston, where proprietor Gary Gregory gave live demonstrations to visitors. He will be printing copies of the Declaration of Independence at the Museum of Printing in the lead up to July 4, 2026.

Why were printing presses so important? In short, it was the newspapers, pamphlets, and broadside posters that they printed that were instrumental in turning the tide of public opinion toward independence. Along with word of mouth, print held a very important place in communications of the time. Print was particularly important because many individuals could share a single copy of a document and either read it themselves or have someone read it to them.

Our history is full of examples in which printers distributed information, often at great personal risk. Here are just a few.

The New York Weekly Journal (1733)

An early example is the libel trial of the printer and journalist John Peter Zenger, whose New York Weekly Journal had earned the ire of the colonial governor William S. Cody, for printing unflattering commentaries. Cody had Zenger arrested for libel in 1733. Later at the trial, Zenger’s attorney made the case that truth should be a valid defense against libel. The jury agreed and Zenger was acquitted. Zenger’s case laid the groundwork for future court decisions that would establish freedom of the press in the United States.

“The Bloody Massacre in King-Street” (1770)

On March 5, 1770, a crowd gathered in Boston and threw snowballs and rocks at some of the 4,000 British soldiers in residence there. (It is worth noting that the city only had 15,000 inhabitants at the time.) Shots were fired and before long, five civilians were dead. Three weeks later, Paul Revere produced an engraving of the incident, which is now widely known as the “Boston Massacre.” Revere’s famous illustration borrowed from the work of the artist Henry Pelham, who had already done his own illustration, but Revere’s version, entitled “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street,” is the best known one today. Some historians call it “the most effective piece of war propaganda in American history.”

The Massachusetts Spy (1770-1776)

Founded in 1770, the Massachusetts Spy published political commentary in Boston under the guidance of printer and publisher Isaiah Thomas. In the early 1770s, the newspaper stopped short of advocating a full rebellion, but soon caught the attention of the British authorities. When the revolution started in April of 1775, Thomas took his printing operation to Worcester, an area more hostile to British soldiers, where he continued to publish. The masthead of the Massachusetts Spy included the well-known image of the thirteen-part snake (representing the thirteen colonies) facing off against a British dragon.

Common Sense (1776)

Thomas Paine’s forty-seven-page pamphlet, Common Sense, made the case for independence from Great Britain. Some historians consider Paine to be the “Father of the American Revolution” because of Common Sense. As many as 100,000 copies of Common Sense were distributed in the colonies over a three-month period starting in January of 1776.

Conclusion

It wasn’t until 1781 after a Continental Army victory in Yorktown, Virginia that we earned our independence. Bullets and cannonballs were needed in the end, but type, ink, paper, and presses were other key components of that eventual triumph.

Author bio: Jim Hamilton of Green Harbor Publications (www.greenharbor.com) is an industry analyst, market researcher, writer, and public speaker. For many years he was Group Director in charge of Keypoint Intelligence’s (formerly InfoTrends’) Production Digital Printing & Publishing consulting services. He has a BA in German from Amherst College and a Master’s in Printing Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology