The Effect of the Printing Press

From our class discussion and the reading over American Literature 1750-1830, I constantly see the importance of the printing press during this time period.  It revolutionized not only America, but also the world as a whole!  The printing press allowed individuals the accessibility to books, articles, pamphlets, newspapers, and other texts on a whole new level.  And in return there was a rise in education.  For instance, in America, the Puritans focused on education and wanting everyone in their society to be able to read and interpret the Bible as an individual.  This would have not been possible without the printing press.  The idea of the printing press seems simple to us today and I have never really thought of how it was a central point of development and the way in which it transformed America.    

“The changes in print culture between 1750 and 1776 were crucial to the development of both colonial unity and a growing sense of national identity” (314).  It is amazing that because of print culture, the colonies in America developed a sense of unity and identity as a country.  What would have happened if this didn’t take place during these crucial years of developing as a country? Would we be where we are today? The effect of print in our culture and nation has transformed America into the society we are today.