A Revolution Will Not be Tweeted (Historical Lecture)

“We the People” are invited to a fascinating presentation exploring the history of printing during the American Revolution, centered around an authentic old-style printing press. When the handwritten Declaration of Independence arrived at a local print shop on the evening of July 4, 1776, it was “mass produced” overnight, though by today’s standards the process was anything but fast. Each copy was set entirely by hand, one letter at a time, carefully locked into a press bed and printed individually by hand. That same deliberate and intentional methodology used by early revolutionaries to spread the ideas of 1776 is still practiced today at A Revolutionary Press, a working print shop in New Haven, Vermont. During this presentation, attendees will learn how the press’s mission, deeply inspired by the Declaration of Independence, guides its work to spark a different kind of revolution for the present and future by listening to and printing the words of today’s lesser-known radical and revolutionary thinkers. The presentation will be delivered by John Vincent, Director of A Revolutionary Press, and is offered free of charge thanks to our event partners, Vermont Humanities and The Shelburne Historical Society.