The Revolution: Going Viral

This film examines how the American Revolutionary War was fueled by an early information network powered by print. The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 revolutionized communication by enabling rapid and widespread distribution of text. By the 17th century, printing reached the colonies when Elizabeth Glover brought a press to Massachusetts, later operated by Stephen Day. Initially used by Britain to share official information, print became a powerful tool for resistance as tensions escalated. Colonists relied on newspapers, pamphlets, and broadsides to spread ideas. By 1775, dozens of newspapers circulated political content, creating a shared colonial dialogue. Pamphlets like Common Sense by Thomas Paine persuaded colonists toward independence. Broadsides, including the Dunlap Broadsides, delivered urgent messages in public spaces. Together, these forms of media created a dynamic communication network that spread revolutionary ideas quickly, mobilized public opinion, and transformed information into collective action.