175O-1831 Printer And Publisher

Another Franklin.

Isaiah Thomas emerged from a poor Boston family to become the most important early American printer after Benjamin Franklin. His early career was much like Franklin's. He was born on 30 January 1750 and at age six was apprenticed to work in a print shop, even though he could not yet read. He began setting type for reissues of popular works by comparing the shape of the pieces of type with the letters in the book to be reprinted. Thomas learned his trade quickly and took over management of his master's shop when he was only thirteen. He was becoming quite successful when a fight with his master prompted him to leave Boston in 1766. He hoped to go to London to perfect his trade, as Franklin had done, but only made it as far as Nova Scotia. There he did his first...