Coventina's History Thread: Start the Presses!!
When a German named Johannes Gutenberg developed the moveable type printing press in the mid-1400s, the world of paper making changed forever. Books that were once hand copied were now available in a mass-produced format. As the appetite for new books grew, so did the need for paper.
The New World was introduced to paper making in the late 1600s, when the first paper mill was built in Mexico. A German immigrant named William Rittenhouse started the first paper plant in the British colonies in Philadelphia in 1690. In less than a century, 20 mills were producing paper in the colonies.
(The Chinese invented moveable type long before the Europeans, but the technology was abandoned due to the complexity of Chinese characters. Also, the Dutch fervently insist that moveable type was invented by their guy Laurens Janszoon Coster.)
= new reply since forum marked as read
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.