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List of early American publishers and printers facts for kids

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Chodowiecki Basedow Tafel 21 c Z
A typical printing press of the 18th century

This article lists important publishers and printers from early America. These people played a huge role in sharing news, ideas, and books during the colonial period and the American Revolution. They helped shape how people thought and learned in a new nation.

Pioneers of the Press: Early American Printers

Many brave individuals set up printing presses in the American colonies. They printed everything from newspapers and books to official government documents. Their work was vital for sharing information and helping people stay connected.

Spreading the Word: Notable Printers

  • Robert Aitken (publisher) (1734–1802)
    • A Philadelphia printer.
    • He was the first person in the U.S. to publish a Bible in English.
  • Benjamin Franklin Bache (1769–1798)
    • A journalist, printer, and publisher.
    • He started the Philadelphia Aurora newspaper.
    • This newspaper supported the ideas of Thomas Jefferson, a founding father.
    • It was known for criticizing Federalist leaders, including George Washington.
  • Francis Bailey (publisher) (1744—1817)
    • A printer, publisher, and journalist during the Revolutionary War.
    • He worked in Pennsylvania from 1771 to 1807.
    • He was the first printer to call George Washington the "Father of his country."
    • He also printed the very first copies of the Articles of Confederation.
  • Andrew Barclay (bookbinder) (1737-1823)
    • A bookbinder in Boston and New York during the American Revolution.
    • He was a Loyalist, meaning he supported the British Crown.
  • Robert Bell (publisher) (1725-1784)
    • Famous for printing Thomas Paine's important work, Common Sense.
    • This book helped convince many colonists to seek independence.
  • Andrew Bradford (1686–1742)
    • A printer in colonial Philadelphia.
    • He published Philadelphia's first newspaper, The American Weekly Mercury.
  • John Campbell (editor) (1653–1728)
    • A newspaper editor in Boston.
    • He founded the first newspaper published regularly in the British colonies in America, The Boston News-Letter.
  • Mathew Carey (1760–1839)
    • An Irish-born American publisher and economist from Philadelphia.
    • He founded The Pennsylvania Herald.
    • He received help from Benjamin Franklin and Lafayette.
  • Francis Childs (printer)
    • A publisher and printer of The New York Daily Advertiser.
    • He was a printer for the new United States government in 1783.
  • Isaac Collins (printer) (1746–1817)
    • A printer and publisher.
    • He published New Jersey Gazette and New Jersey Almanac.
    • He was known for his famous 1791 Bible.
    • He was active in politics during the American Revolution and printed continental currency.
  • James Davis (printer) (1721–1785)
    • The first printer and postmaster of North Carolina.
    • He founded and printed the North-Carolina Gazette.
  • Stephen Daye (1594–1668)
    • An immigrant from England to the British colony of Massachusetts.
    • He became the first printer in colonial America.
  • Thomas Dobson (printer) (1751–1823)
    • A master printer.
    • He was famous for publishing the earliest American version of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
    • He was also the first in the U.S. to publish a complete Hebrew Bible.
  • Benjamin Edes (1732–1803)
    • A journalist, newspaper publisher, and supporter of the American Revolution.
    • He published the Boston Gazette with John Gill.
    • He also published The Boston Gazette and Country Journal.
  • John Fenno (1751–1798)
    • A Federalist Party editor.
    • He founded Gazette of the United States.
    • This newspaper was important in shaping early American politics in the 1790s.
  • Thomas Fleet (printer) (1685-1758)
    • A bookseller and printer.
    • He started the Boston Evening Post.
  • John Foster (printer) (1648–1681)
    • A printer and engraver.
    • He is known for producing the first engravings in British colonial America.
    • He also created the official seals of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • Daniel Fowle (printer) (1715–1787)
    • He was arrested in Massachusetts for printing things that criticized the government.
    • He founded the New Hampshire Gazette.
  • Benjamin Franklin (1705–1790)
    • A world-famous American founding father.
    • He was also a postmaster, printer, inventor, and scientist.
  • James Franklin (printer) (1697–1735)
    • A colonial author, printer, newspaper, and almanac publisher.
    • He published the New England Courant, one of America's oldest independent newspapers.
    • He was the older brother of Benjamin Franklin.
  • Hugh Gaine (1726–1807)
    • An Irish printer, bookseller, and newspaper publisher.
    • He published The New York Mercury.
  • John Gill (printer) (1732-1785)
    • A printer in Boston, Massachusetts.
    • He published The Boston Gazette newspaper with Benjamin Edes.
    • He later published The Continental Journal.
  • Sarah Updike Goddard (1701–1770)
    • A printer and co-founder of The Providence Gazette.
    • She was the mother of William Goddard and Mary Katherine Goddard, who were also famous colonial printers.
  • Daniel Henchman (publisher) (1689-1761)
    • Boston's largest bookseller and publisher before the American Revolution.
    • He built the first paper mill in New England.
    • He published the first English-language Bible printed in the American colonies.
  • Mary Katherine Goddard (1738–1816)
    • A publisher and postmaster of the Baltimore Post Office.
    • She was the older sister of William Goddard.
  • William Goddard (publisher) (1740–1817)
    • A patriot, publisher, printer, and postal inspector.
    • He worked closely with Benjamin Franklin to set up the colonial postal system.
  • Bartholomew Green Sr. (printer) (1666–1732)
    • A printer and later the publisher of The Boston News-Letter.
  • Samuel Green (printer) (1614–1702)
    • An American printer and an ancestor of many printers in the Green family.
    • He was one of the first American printers in Cambridge.
  • Jonas Green (early 1700s–1767)
    • A newspaper publisher with his wife Anne Catherine Hoof Green in Colonial Maryland.
    • He strongly opposed The Stamp Act, a tax imposed by the British.
  • David Hall (printer) (1714–1772)
    • A printer and business partner of Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia.
    • He eventually took over Franklin's printing business and The Pennsylvania Gazette.
  • Samuel Hall (printer) (1740-1807)
    • Editor and founder of The Essex Gazette.
    • This was the first newspaper to appear in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1768.
  • Benjamin Harris (publisher) (1673-1716)
    • An English publisher who moved to New England.
    • He published the New England Primer, the first textbook in British America.
    • He also edited the first multi-page newspaper there, Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick.
  • Nicholas Hasselbach (printer) (1749-1769)
    • A printer and paper mill owner in Philadelphia and Baltimore.
    • He was the first printer to set up a printing press in Baltimore.
  • Anthony Haswell (printer) (1756–1816)
    • An English immigrant to New England.
    • He was a newspaper, almanac, and book publisher.
    • He was also the Postmaster General of Vermont.
    • He was a supporter of Thomas Jefferson and was imprisoned under the Sedition Act of 1798. This act made it illegal to criticize the government.
  • John Holt (publisher) (1721–1784)
    • A newspaper publisher, printer, and mayor of Williamsburg, Virginia.
    • He helped publish several newspapers, including The New York Gazette.
    • He worked with Benjamin Franklin and The Sons of Liberty.
    • He published articles against the Stamp Act of 1765.
  • James Humphreys (printer) (1748–1810)
    • A printer, publisher, and politician in Nova Scotia and Pennsylvania.
    • He was a printing apprentice of William Bradford.
  • William Hunter (publisher) (early 1700s–1761)
    • A newspaper and book publisher.
    • He was the official government printer for the colony of Virginia.
  • Samuel Keimer (1689–1742)
    • An English printer and immigrant.
    • He was the original founder of The Pennsylvania Gazette.
    • He sold the newspaper to Benjamin Franklin in 1729.
  • Samuel Kneeland (printer) (1696-1769)
    • A printer and publisher of The Boston Gazette.
  • Samuel Loudon (1727-1813)
    • Founder and printer of The New-York Packet and The American Advertiser.
    • He was a Postmaster in Fishkill, New York, during the American Revolutionary War.
  • Hugh Meredith (1697–1749)
    • A farmer and printer.
    • He briefly partnered with Benjamin Franklin to publish The Pennsylvania Gazette.
  • James Parker (publisher) (1714–1770)
    • A printer and publisher.
    • He was an apprentice of Benjamin Franklin.
    • Franklin later appointed him Postmaster of the colonies.
    • He set up the first print shop in New Jersey.
    • He was a printer for Yale College and managed New York City's first public library.
  • William Parks (publisher) (1699–1750)
    • A printer and journalist in England and Colonial America.
    • He was the first printer in Maryland officially authorized by the colonial government.
    • He published the first newspaper in the Southern American colonies, The Maryland Gazette.
  • Richard Pierce (publisher) (?-1691)
    • A publisher who printed Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick for Benjamin Harris.
    • This is generally considered the first newspaper printed in America.
  • Alexander Purdie (publisher) (1743–1779)
    • A printer and publisher in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
    • He printed the laws and legislative journals for the colonial government of Virginia.
  • James Rivington (1724–1802)
    • He published a Loyalist newspaper called Rivington's Gazette.
    • Loyalists supported the British during the American Revolution.
  • Joseph Royle (publisher) (1732–1766)
    • A newspaper publisher and printer for the colony of Virginia.
    • He was an apprentice of William Hunter.
  • Benjamin Russell (journalist) (1761–1845)
  • Solomon Southwick (1773–1839)
    • A printer and publisher of Newport Mercury.
    • He was a main organizer of the Anti-Masonic Party.
  • Christopher Sower (elder) (1693–1758)
    • The first German-language printer and publisher in North America.
  • Christopher Sower (younger) (1721–1784)
    • A clergyman and printer.
    • He was the son of Christopher Sower, elder.
  • Christopher Sower III (1754–1799)
    • A printer and publisher in Pennsylvania.
    • He was a Loyalist during the American Revolution.
    • He was the son of Christopher Sower (younger).
  • William Strahan (publisher) (1715–1785)
    • A printer, publisher, and politician in the House of Commons.
    • He was a friend of Benjamin Franklin.
  • Louis Timothee (1699–1738)
    • A printer in colonial Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
    • He worked for Benjamin Franklin, publishing newspapers like The Pennsylvania Gazette.
    • He also served as a part-time librarian for the Library Company of Philadelphia.
  • Ann Timothy (1727–1792)
    • A newspaper publisher from South Carolina.
    • She became the official printer for the state of South Carolina.
  • Elizabeth Timothy (1700–1757)
    • A printer and newspaper publisher in the colony of South Carolina.
    • She worked for Benjamin Franklin.
    • She was the first woman in America to become a newspaper publisher.
  • Peter Timothy (1724–1782)
    • A printer and politician.
    • He immigrated to the American colonies with his parents.
    • He also worked for Benjamin Franklin.
  • Benjamin Towne (mid 1700s–1793)
    • He published The Pennsylvania Evening Post.
    • He published the first daily newspaper in the U.S.
    • He was also the first to publish the United States Declaration of Independence in a newspaper.
  • William Williams (printer and publisher) (1787-1850)
    • A printer and publisher of several newspapers in Utica, New York.
    • He was an elder of the first Presbyterian Church in Utica.
  • John Peter Zenger (1697–1746)
    • Famous for a landmark court case in 1733.
    • He was accused of printing false information about William Cosby, the colonial governor in New York.
    • His lawyers successfully argued that telling the truth was a valid defense in such cases. This was a big step for freedom of the press.

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  • Chodowiecki Basedow Tafel 21 c Z

    A typical printing press of the 18th century

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