The Printing Press Is the Most Important Invention in Communication Technology (EOTO)

The printing press was a revolutionary piece of technology which transformed the world of information and knowledge. Printing caused revolutions, mixed societal structure, and changed the world politically and economically for the better. For these reasons, I think that the invention of the printing press was the most revolutionary invention in communication technology.

A replica of the first printing press

The first form of European moveable type was created by Johannes Gutenberg, a german goldsmith who was exiled to France where he spent over ten years perfecting his printing press. While there is dispute over who created the earliest printing press, the Gutenberg press was the most efficient and became a widespread piece of machinery at alarmingly fast rates. In only fifty years after its introduction, hundreds of European cities used the printing press invented by Gutenberg. 

The preceding Chinese version of the printing press used carved wooden blocks to stamp characters in ink onto paper. Gutenberg's printing press utilized about three hundred lead castings of individual letters. These molds were arranged to be stamped onto pressed paper, a process which was repeated quickly. Gutenberg created his own ink to properly compliment the metal stamps. History.com provides that he even pressed his own paper using a wine press. The first product of Gutenberg's invention was a bible. The bible was printed in Latin and almost two hundred copies of the book were produced from the printing press. This version of the bible is known as Gutenberg's Bible.

The a copy of the Gutenberg Bible

Now the question remains, why is the printing press so important? What elements of its impact make it more revolutionary than the internet or computer? The spread of the printing press meant that we would see the first worldwide spread of ideas. There was a mass production of information. Global news networks popped up, texts were translated and spread throughout the world, ancient artifacts and fragments of history were now easily preserved and expanded. Prior to the press, books were hand copied and written by scribes. One manuscript cost almost as much as a house. When printing eliminated the need for multiple scribes and hours of writing, knowledge and literacy became something of the common man. The upper class no longer held the monopoly on information.

In addition to making information much more accessible to the lower class, increased printing of information accelerated movements and revolutions. The Renaissance movement was thrusted into Mannerism. The Scientific Revolution benefited from scientists printing and sharing their findings across the globe. Enlightenment Era political ideologies were printed on pamphlets and newspapers. They changed the political structures of many countries, stirring revolutions in the Americas. Economic interactions changed with the ability to mass produce in a different medium. Records and exchange history were easily documentable.

To conclude, without the printing press and the rapid expanse of information accessibility, the revolutionary exchange of information would not have happened. This means the world of technology would have been slowed and isolated. The internet is a close second to the printing press, but is the later, more modern version of the older technology. Without the printing press, history would have been slowed substantially.