The Printer in Eighteenth-Century Williamsburg An Account of His Life & Times, & of His Craft

"The Printer in Eighteenth-Century Williamsburg" by Parke Rouse is a mid-20th century book telling the story of William Parks, Virginia's first public printer, and his important printing business in 18th-century Williamsburg. The book looks at how the printing business changed and how it affected the colonial community, showing a clear picture of Parks and his busy shop on Duke of Gloucester Street, which was a newspaper office, bookstore, and post office all in one. It explores the world where young workers and printers used important printing methods to make the first "Virginia Gazette" newspapers, spreading news and thoughts around the colony. The challenges that printers faced and how printed materials helped shape the political and cultural world of 18th-century Virginia are made clear, and the book shows how that environment helped move America toward independence.