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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CALL NUMBER:PGA - Krämer--ThomasPaine (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
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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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.
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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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.
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 & StatesmenBenjamin Franklin/
Benjamin Franklin's printing press
/
/ / 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.
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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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