First Printing Press in North Carolina
New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
First Printing Press In N.C.. Est. 1749 by James Davis who published the first book & newspaper in colony. Shop was nearby.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
In 1749 James Davis established North Carolina's first printing press near this spot, publishing the colony's earliest book and its first newspaper. In a young colony where information traveled slowly, a working press was a powerful new tool for law, commerce, and public debate. Davis went on to serve as the colony's public printer for decades.
Why it matters
The arrival of the printing press marks the beginning of a free press and public literacy in North Carolina, foundations of the civic life that would help fuel the Revolution.
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Related people
- · James Davis
Themes & tags
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