To commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this temporary exhibition explores the crucial role of print culture in the American Revolution, as well as Milton’s influence on some key American printers in the revolutionary movement.

From famous prints to popular newspapers, Printing the Revolution portrays the arc of the struggle through copies of prints, books and newspapers from the time, each declaring an aspect of how the colonies achieved independence.

Providing the intellectual foundation for this revolution were many printed texts that inspired Americans to fight for their fundamental rights, including Milton’s 1644 pamphlet Areopagitica.  This became the ultimate manifesto for a free press, inspiring American printers to resist British censorship, and fight for the right to criticise Parliament and the King.

During an earlier revolution, and the English Civil Wars, Milton had transformed the role of writer into that of political activist. Because of his influence, American printers realised their presses were powerful tools for building a free, democratic nation. Benjamin Franklin famously quoted Milton’s Areopagitica in his Pennsylvania Gazette to defend the freedom of the press, using Miltonic arguments to establish that a printer’s duty was to provide an open forum for public debate.

The exhibition is included with entry to Milton’s Cottage.