“Here is something methinks I should like to read”: American Access to Periodical Literature in the Eighteenth Century

By:
Prof. Keith A. Pacholl
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This paper seeks to examine how Americans accessed periodical print (newspapers and magazines) during the course of the eighteenth century. In many ways periodicals reflected the dynamics of American society as the country evolved from a colonial society into an independent nation. This study discusses how pervasive periodicals had become in eighteenth-century America by assessing the volume and distribution of periodicals and how they were disseminated to the public. Libraries, bookstores, and taverns all provided access to periodicals beyond subscriptions, but this process has received minimal attention by prior scholars. This paper will thus seek to explore this important development in greater depth.


Keywords: Periodicals, Newspapers, Magazines, Reading, Libraries
Stream: Books, Writing and Reading
Presentation Type: 30 minute Paper Presentation in English
Paper: American Access to Periodical Literature in the Eighteenth Century

Prof. Keith A. Pacholl

Assistant Professor, Department of History, University of West Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia, USA

Keith Pacholl is currently Assistant Professor of History at the University of West Georgia. His research explores the influences of the Enlightenment upon religion, class, gender, consumerism, and print culture in Early American society.

Ref: B06P0177