When we tell the story of America’s founding, the names that usually appear are Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson. Yet behind the revolutionary ideas that spread across the colonies stood another powerful force: the printing press.
Printers carried the Revolution in ink and paper—publishing laws, newspapers, broadsides, and pamphlets that informed citizens and united the colonies. Among these printers were several remarkable women whose work helped shape the early American republic.
Three of the most influential were Elizabeth Glover, Ann Franklin, and Mary Katherine Goddard. Their presses did more than print pages—they advanced liberty.
Elizabeth Glover: The Mother of the American Press
America’s printing story begins with Elizabeth Glover, whose determination helped establish the very first printing press in the English colonies.
In 1638, Elizabeth and her husband Joseph Glover sailed from England to Massachusetts with a printing press, type, paper, and supplies intended for the new Harvard College. During the voyage, Joseph died at sea, leaving Elizabeth the sole owner of the press and the responsibility of bringing the enterprise to life.
After arriving in Cambridge, she secured permission from local leaders to establish the colony’s first printing office near Harvard. Under her supervision, the press began producing the earliest printed materials in North America, including “The Freeman’s Oath,” the first document printed in the colonies, as well as almanacs and the famous Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in what would become the United States.
Before Glover’s press arrived, printed materials used in the colonies had to be imported from England. Her work marked the beginning of American publishing itself.
In many ways, Elizabeth Glover laid the foundation for every printer who followed. Without her courage and investment, the story of American printing—and perhaps American independence—would look very different.
Ann Franklin: America’s First Woman Newspaper Editor
More than a century later, another woman would carry the torch of the printing trade: Ann Franklin.
Ann Franklin learned the craft in her husband’s shop, operated by James Franklin, the brother of Benjamin Franklin. When James died in 1735, Ann took over the business—an extraordinary step for a woman in colonial America.
Determined to support her family, she petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly for official printing work and won the contract. She became the official printer to the Rhode Island colony, producing legislative documents, currency, election ballots, and legal forms.
Franklin also published newspapers and almanacs. In 1758 she and her son began publishing the Newport Mercury, the first newspaper in Rhode Island, making her America’s first female newspaper editor.
Through her press, Ann Franklin helped spread news, ideas, and civic information throughout the colonies. Her work demonstrates how printers were essential to colonial democracy long before the Revolution began.
Mary Katherine Goddard: Printer of the Declaration
If Elizabeth Glover founded American printing and Ann Franklin strengthened it, Mary Katherine Goddard used it to support the cause of independence.
Goddard operated the Maryland Journal newspaper and was also the postmaster of Baltimore—likely the first female postmaster in America.
Her press openly supported the Patriot cause during the American Revolution. She published articles criticizing British rule, reprinted revolutionary pamphlets like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and kept citizens informed about the war.
Her most famous achievement came in 1777, when the Continental Congress ordered a new printing of the Declaration of Independence. Goddard printed the broadside that included the names of all the signers for the first time.
At the bottom of that historic document appeared a bold imprint:
“Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard.”
By placing her name on the Declaration, Goddard publicly aligned herself with the revolutionary cause—an act that could have brought severe consequences if the British had prevailed.
Her press helped ensure that the Declaration—and the ideals of independence—spread across the colonies.
The Revolutionary Power of Print
The American Revolution was fought not only with muskets and cannon, but also with ink and paper. Printers published news, arguments, and documents that shaped public opinion and united the colonies.
Elizabeth Glover established the first press in America.
Ann Franklin strengthened the profession and proved women could lead it.
Mary Katherine Goddard helped print the document that defined a nation.
Together, these women demonstrate a powerful truth:
The story of American freedom is also the story of the printing press—and the remarkable women who operated it.
PICA’s Year-Long Celebration of Print
This post is part of a blog series spotlighting early printers across the nation—and in the Carolinas—whose work helped shape the United States 250 years ago. Through print, they communicated ideas, informed the public, and fueled a revolution that led to independence from Britain, while laying the groundwork for the printing and graphic communications industry we know today. This series is part of PICA’s broader celebration honoring print’s vital role in the nation’s founding as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more information about PICA’s 250th anniversary celebration, click here.