4 – Ink and Independence: The Power of Print

Media Type
Audio
Spotify URL
35 min 25 s
Season 1

The high literacy rates amongst colonists created the perfect environment for revolutionary ideas to take root.

 In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech explores the pivotal role of print culture in the American Revolution with guests Dr. James Herrera-Brookes and Dr. Cathy Hellier.

 

Inside the Episode:

Highlighting the contributions of trailblazing printer Clementina Rind and the impact of Thomas Jefferson's radical pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America," this episode delves into how literacy and printed materials like newspapers and pamphlets spread revolutionary ideas. The discussion covers the intellectual foundations of the Enlightenment, the logistics of 18th-century printing, and the far-reaching effects of disseminated ideas, even among enslaved populations. The episode emphasizes the transformative power of the written word in mobilizing and unifying colonial resistance against British rule.

Guests:

  • Dr. James Herrera-Brookes: Melanie Trent De Shutter Sr. Director of Research & Publications at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.  James is responsible for leadership of the VMHC’s library services, overall management of research and publications, and growing the library’s print collection. He holds an MRes and Ph.D. in American studies and history from the University of Nottingham, where he specialized in the American Civil War and American print and visual culture. James has held research fellowships at the Newberry Library, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Library of Congress. James’ doctoral research examined Civil War soldier-artists and the varied ways they pictured the conflict and has been published in Civil War History and Journal of American Studies. This work will form the basis of a forthcoming exhibition and publication by the VMHC.
     
  • Dr. Cathleene "Cathy" B. Hellier: Senior Historian at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia. Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, she joined the Foundation in 1978 as a historical interpreter. Since 1979, she has worked in Historical Research at the Foundation. This department produces original research, primarily on Virginia during the colonial period, and supports programming in the Foundation’s Historic Area. Hellier has master’s degrees in Museum Education and American Studies and a doctorate in American Studies. Her dissertation is on enslaved male domestics in Virginia to 1800, and her other research interests include the politics and ideology of the American Revolution; the community of Williamsburg; history of the family; eighteenth-century English language; dance and deportment; and household management. She and her husband Ben have two grown children, Stephen and Katie.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Revolution Revisited 
00:41 The Power of Print in the 18th Century
01:54 Literacy and Print Culture in Colonial America
05:44 The Role of Newspapers and Pamphlets
15:04 Censorship and Challenges in Print Culture
17:49 Clementina Rind: A Trailblazing Printer
23:34 Jefferson's Radical Pamphlet
29:20 Impact of Revolutionary Print on Enslaved People
34:11 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview 

COLLECTION SPOTLIGHT:

Image
Two sepia documents with typeset

VMHC Call Number Rare E211.J45.1774 (left) & Rare E211.J45.1774b (right) 

A Summary View of the Rights of British America

Summary View is a landmark publication in Virginia history, and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture stewards a copy of the first edition (left), which was printed without Jefferson's knowledge and of which fewer than ten copies exist today. Rather unassumingly, this important document is fourteen centimeters along its long edge, and twenty-three pages long. The VMHC also holds two copies of the second edition (right), reprinted on Fleet Street in London, with additions, within months of its first publication in the colonial capital. A network that included Virginia's first female printer and an English publisher with radical tendencies contributed to the establishment of Jefferson's reputation and helped get him the job of authoring the Declaration.

Season 1 Production Credits

Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin.

Host: Maggie Creech
Lead Producer & Director: Hailey Fenner
Associate Producers: Nicole Martorana and Tracy Schneider
Additional Content Contribution: Sam Florer, Dr. James Herrera-Brookes, Michael Plumb, and Andrew Talkov
Special Thanks: Theresa House
Audio Production: ProPodcast Solutions
Music: "Look At Me Now" by Clejan