Description
Book SynopsisTraces the evolution of New York’s publishing trade from the end of the American Revolution to the Age of Jackson. Explores the gradual development of local, regional, and national distribution networks in the early republic.
Trade Review“Through impressive research in primary sources and engaging portraits of individuals and preindustrial trade practices, An Empire in Print makes a valuable contribution to the history of print culture in the United States.”
—Early American Literature
“The amount of research undertaken by the author in producing his book is impressive, and its utility is enhanced by 26 statistical tables. Highly recommended.”
—J. H. Kaimowitz Choice
“Smith’s account—expansively researched and avidly written—is necessary reading for scholars interested in early American media history.”
—Michael Millner Journal of American History
“This book will be vitally important to those of us who are concerned with the nature of the book trade in the early Republic, most so for how it forwards our understanding of these crucial New York figures.”
—Carolyn Eastman The William and Mary Quarterly
“An important contribution to the history of the book and literacy in America.”
—Howard B. Rock American Historical Review
“Given the critical role of print culture, Smith’s comprehensive study of these early printers, booksellers, and publishers’ trials and successes as they developed a nascent American publishing trade is essential reading for Early American scholars, yet is still accessible for non-specialists.”
—Joshua P. Canale New York History
“Smith tells the story of New York publishing in An Empire of Print and in doing so, he develops the connection between publishing and government, and of interstate and international relations, from the historical point of view of America as a fledgling country. . . . The five case studies zoom in with microscopic human details, highlighting the trails and travails of notable figures (who are intriguing in their own right), drawing out how their microstruggles also speak to larger issues both within the publishing trade and with the developing nation. Scholars of book history will find Smith’s work a critical addition to the field.”
—Dana Gavin Communication Booknotes Quarterly
Table of ContentsList of Tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Pertinent Details
Chapter 1: Samuel Loudon and the Building of the Empire State in Print
Chapter 2: William Gordon, Print Culture, and the Politics of History
Chapter 3: John Ward Fenno’s Book Shop Politics
Chapter 4: Literary Fairs and National Ambitions
Chapter 5: Evert Duyckinck and the National Book Trade
Afterword: Print and Memory in an Age of Change
Selected Bibliography
Notes
Index
