Revolutionary, Communications: The Printing Press
In the years leading up the American Revolution, radical changes
occurred throughout the colonies. New political ideas, social trends, and
economic developments reshaped the lives of all people. At the center of all
these changes were the creation of large-scale printing and the production of
pamphlets, broadsides, and almanacs. With the newfound ability to produce
writings, people could spread ideas and information in efficient and creative
ways.
One person who understood the power of printing was Thomas Paine,
pictured here.
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Thomas Paine
CALL NUMBER:
PGA - Krämer--Thomas Paine (D size) [P&P]
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-5243 (b&w film copy neg.)
No known restrictions on publication.
MEDIUM:
1 print.
CREATED/PUBLISHED:
[no date recorded on shelflist card]
NOTES:
This record contains unverified data from PGA shelflist card.
Associated name on shelflist card: Krämer.
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington,
D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3a08557
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a08557
CARD #:
2003667077
During the Revolutionary era, books like this one were not commonly available.
Only the wealthiest portion of society could afford to buy books, so the majority of
the literate population read only broadsides and pamphlets. Accordingly, many
news stories spread first through the literate population, then to the illiterate
portion of the population through word-of-mouth.
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Exhibition Sections: Top Treasures - Memory - Reason - Imagination
Book Collector
[Matthew Wheelock]
Reflections Moral and Political
on Great Britain and Her Colonies.
Page 1 - Page 2
Page 1 & 2 together
London: 1770, bound with
[Allan Ramsay]
Thoughts on the Origin and
Nature of Government. London: 1769
Rare Book & Special Collections Division
Thomas Jefferson had a passion for books
and assembled the finest private library in
America. From the Philadelphia book dealer
Nicholas G. Dufief, Jefferson acquired
several books from the late Benjamin
Franklin's personal collection, including two
pamphlets, bound together, about taxation of
the colonies: Reflections moral and political
on Great Britain and her colonies by
Matthew Wheelock, and Thoughts on the
origin and nature of government by Allan
Ramsay. As Jefferson wrote to Dufief, he
was especially pleased to receive "the
precious reliques of Doctor Franklin," which
he valued "not only [for] the intrinsic value
of whatever came from him, but [also] my
particular affection for him."
Franklin had written lengthy and heated
notes in the margins of the pamphlets on
nearly every page, beginning in the preface
to the first pamphlet where Franklin, reading
of the author's hope that "a better mode of
election may be established to make the
representation more equal," impatiently
interjects "why don't you get about it?"
When the British burned the Capitol during
the War of 1812, Congress lost its entire
book collection in the flames. Jefferson
proposed to sell to Congress his own private
library, which consisted of more than six
thousand volumes including legal tomes,
maps and charts, ancient and modern history,
some belles lettres, and the seminal works of
such political philosophers as John Locke
and Montesquieu, who had inspired the
Founding Fathers and shaped their political
thought.
While some members of Congress objected
to the notion of purchasing so many books
not directly related to the business of
legislating, Jefferson convinced the majority
that "there is, in fact, no subject to which a
Member of Congress might not have
occasion to refer."
So it is that the Library of Congress has
grown from the seed of Jefferson's own
library, universal in subject matter and
format, into a library that serves as
Congress's working research collection, as
well as a symbol of the central role that free
and unfettered access to information plays in
our modern democracy.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm002.html
Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, was one of the most popular pieces of
writing during the Revolution. In Common Sense, Paine laid a series of attacks
on the British monarchy and argued for American rights to self-governance. As
important as the ideas in Common Sense was the way in which Paine wrote – he
used simple, common phrases so most literate people could understand his
writing. This was a major change from other writings in the era, which were often
reserved for the educated aristocracy.
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Exhibition Sections: Top Treasures - Memory - Reason - Imagination
Powerful Polemics
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Common Sense: Addresses to
the Inhabitants of America . . .
Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
Page 5 - Page 6
Philadelphia: 1776
Rare Book & Special Collections Division
Purchase, 1867 (26.10)
In January 1776, little more than a year after
emigrating from England, Thomas Paine
penned his famous radical pamphlet
Common Sense, in which he urged the
American Colonies to declare independence
and immediately severe all ties with the
British monarchy. Published just as colonists
learned of George III's speech proclaiming
the American Colonies in rebellion against
the Crown, Common Sense became an
instant best seller with several thousand
copies sold within days.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm028.html
Benjamin Franklin ran a successful printing shop in Philadelphia. Printing
presses like Franklin’s allowed people to produce materials much faster and
more efficiently than in earlier times.
Leaders & Statesmen Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, the Printer
And Benjamin did make it on his own. Eventually
he opened his own printing shop in Philadelphia.
Benjamin's shop printed all kinds of things
including Pennsylvania's currency (money), his
own newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, and
his Poor Richard's Almanac. For the rest of his
life, regardless of his other accomplishments,
Benjamin always considered himself a printer.
Benjamin Franklin's printing press
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/aa/leaders/franklinb/printer_4
Paine’s legacy as both a pamphleteer and revolutionary philosopher proved to be
indelible. This 19th century song-sheet, a popular form of printing at that time,
celebrates Paine as the “Author-Hero of the Revolution.”
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America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets
Item 1 of 1656
For larger images, click on the picture. For transcriptions, scroll down. [Rights and
Reproductions]
Programme. Paine's ode to America. Air-"Rule Britannia."
Paine, Thomas.
NOTES
"The Birthday of Thomas Paine! The friends of mental liberty and Free Government
propose to commemorate the 133d anniversary of the birthday of the author-hero of the
Revolution, Thomas Paine, By a free lecture, By Horace Seaver, upon his revolutionary
services..."
Also includes: Justice to Paine.
SHELF LOCATION
American Song Sheets, Series 1, Volume 1
LYRICS
THE BIRTHDAY OF THOMAS PAINE!
The Friends of Mental Liberty and Free Government propose to Commemorate the
133d ANNIVERSARY
OF THE
Birthday of the Author-Hero of the Revolution, THOMAS PAINE,
BY
A FREE LECTURE, BY HORACE SEAVER,
Upon his Revolutionary Services,
At MERCANTILE HALL, Summer St., on SUNDAY, Jan. 30th,
Commencing at 71/2 o'clock P. M.
Accompanied by Vocal and Instrumental Music.
PROGRAMME.
CONCERTO,--(Piano,)..........L. H. ISENBECK.
SONG,..........BY THE AUDIENCE.
PAINE'S ODE TO AMERICA.
AIR--"Rule Britannia."
Hail! great Republic of the world,
The rising empire of the west:
Where famed Columbus, with mighty mind inspired,
Gave tortured Europe scenes of rest.
Be thou for ever, for ever great and free,
The Land of Love and Liberty.
Beneath thy spreading mantling vine,
Beside thy flowery groves and springs,
And on thy lofty, thy lofty mountains' brow,
May all thy sons and fair ones sing,
Be thou for ever, &c.
May ages, as they rise, proclaim
The glories of thy natal day,
And restless Europe from thy example learn
To live, to rule, and to obey.
Be thou for ever, &c.
From thee may hated discord fly,
With all her dark and dreary train,
And whilst thy mighty, thy mighty waters roll,
May heart-endearing concord reign.
Be thou for ever, &c.
Let laureates sing their birth-day odes,
Or how their death-like thunders hurl'd:
'Tis ours the charter, the charter ours alone,
To sing the birth-day of the world.
Be thou for ever, &c.
FOUR-HAND CONCERTO,--(Piano,)
L. H. ISENBECK,
HOWARD RICHARDSON.
ADDRESS,--By..........HORACE SEAVER.
VIOLIN DUETT,..........JEROME SAVAGE AND H. RICHARDSON.
SONG,..........BY THE AUDIENCE.
JUSTICE TO PAINE.
AIR--"Thou reign'st," &c.
Soft, soft, music is stealing,
Sweet, sweet, lingers the strain,
Loud, loud, now it is pealing,
Ringing for justice to PAINE.
Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Ringing for justice to PAINE.
Join, join, in this hour of gladness,
Send, send, sorrow away,
Now, now, adieu to all sadness,
Warble a joyful lay.
Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Warble a joyful lay.
Hope, hope, fair and enduring,
Joy, joy, bright as this day,
PAINE, PAINE, by his labor ensuring,
Bids us send sorrow away.
Yes, yes, yes, yes,
We will send sorrow away.
Stamped: 110
ADMITTANCE FREE.
COLLECTION
American Song Sheets
REPOSITORY
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
DIGITAL ID
as101100
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/amss:@field(DOCID+@lit(as101100))