Revolutionary ink : New York printers and the promise of democracy, 1693-1804 / Mark J. Noonan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Noonan, Mark J., 1968- Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Printing--New York (State)--New York--History--18th century.

Printing.

Printers--New York (State)--New York.

Printers.

Publications--New York (State)--New York--History--18th century.

Publications.

Enlightenment--United States.

Enlightenment.

Democracy--United States--History--18th century.

Democracy.

New York (N.Y.)--Intellectual life--18th century.

New York (N.Y.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 321 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026.

Summary:

In Revolutionary Ink, Mark J. Noonan explores the careers of New York printers whose presses disseminated Enlightenment ideals that fueled the American Revolution and framed the political debates of the early republic. Long overshadowed by the celebrated authors whose works they produced, printers William Bradford, John Peter Zenger, James Parker, Thomas Greenleaf and others helmed presses that provoked civic engagement, cultivated an appreciation for the arts and sciences, and defended press liberty. The book also examines the equally revolutionary work of their wives, who assisted with and sometimes ran their husband's presses. Throughout the narrative, Noonan addresses the discrepancy between revolutionary rhetoric and practice, and argues that to grasp New York's early print history is to confront the paradox of the Anglo-American Enlightenment: its profound advancements alongside the denial of universal human rights.

Contents:

William Bradford, "The Crafty Old Sophister"

The Trials and Triumphs of John Pieter and Catharine Maul Zenger

James Parker, Reluctant Revolutionary

Movable Types: "Friend John Holt, the Liberty Printer" and 'Jemmy' Rivington, the Purported Spy

"Examine Cooly Every Article, Clause, and Word": Thomas Greenleaf, "Publius," and the Battle for Ratification

Seaport Stirrings: Politics, Print, and Power in the Early Republic

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 17 Jul 2026).

ISBN:

1-009-70014-6