Communication in Colonial North America

Abstract

Communication in Colonial North America was difficult. To stay informed, people in the early modern world employed a variety of different methods and technologies. Before the regularization of postal routes and the proliferation of newspapers and other printed media, communication depended on the movement and connections of a wide variety of people. Exchanging information was not simply about having the most up‐to‐date news or the quickest messenger. It was a way of establishing and maintaining relationships, expressing identity, as well as articulating values and enforcing priorities—a process inextricably tied to social and geopolitical realities. Questions about how people communicated in colonial America open‐up wider discussions of literacy, technology, and power. This article reviews the most recent literature on the acquisition and spread of information in colonial North America, explores the different lines of inquiry scholars have pursued, and posits suggestions and problems for further research.