Printer
All pictures from Colonial Williamsburg
(www.history.org) |
WHY THE PRINTER IS IMPORTANT The printer is important to the community because back then people needed to have a good source of information. They needed a source of information because they didn’t have TVs or computers to find information on websites. The printer was extremely important during the Revolutionary War because people needed to use pamphlets to spread information very quickly. You could also look in the newspaper for: help wanted ads, runaway slaves, or information on ships and their cargo. If you didn’t have the printer, you wouldn’t be up to date. PRODUCTS AND TOOLS The printers made books, newspapers, pamphlets, and other publications. They made ink from tannin, iron, sulfate, gum, and water. It takes 25 hours to make one newspaper and they probably needed six people to make one newspaper. For their tools they needed type. Just so you know, the type was not like the one that you type with a computer; it is a stamp kind of type, with only one letter or symbol on each metal piece. They would set up the type and put the ink on and then put the paper on and make multiple newspapers. It takes hours and that is how you make the newspaper. WHAT PRINTERS MADE AND SOLD Printers made and sold newspapers, pamphlets, booklets, broadsides, books, posters, and almanacs. A broadside is a small advertisement sort of like a poster. An almanac is a pamphlet for farmers that told them when to plant stuff.That is what printer made. WHAT THE PRINTERS SHOP LOOKED LIKE Most printer shops were in cities because they were closer to the government. In a printers shop there was a printing press there were also boxes for type. Printer shop also served as mail center. That is what printer shops looked like. |