Francis Bailey
Who was Francis Bailey?
(1744-1817) printer and journalist
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Francis Bailey (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Francis Bailey (September 3, 1744 – November 1, 1817) was an American printer, publisher, and journalist who played a key role in early Pennsylvania's print scene. Born in Sadsbury Township, Bailey learned printing from Peter Miller at the Ephrata community in Lancaster County, gaining both technical skills and ties to one of colonial Pennsylvania's unique religious and intellectual communities. He became one of the most productive and historically important printers in the early American republic, working in Lancaster and Philadelphia during the challenging years around American independence.
Before Fame
Francis Bailey was born in 1744 in Sadsbury Township, Pennsylvania, during a time when the printing press was becoming important in public life. He trained under Peter Miller at Ephrata, which had a reputation for advanced printing and this experience influenced his career. By 1771, Bailey had settled in Lancaster, where he started publishing the Lancaster Almanac. This marked the beginning of a career that would put him at the heart of American political and intellectual life during the revolutionary era.
Key Achievements
- First printer to publish the phrase 'Father of His Country' in reference to George Washington
- Produced the first official printed edition of the Articles of Confederation
- Founded and edited the Freeman's Journal beginning in 1781
- Published Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the United States Magazine in 1778
- Served as the first American publisher of Emanuel Swedenborg's writings in 1787
Did You Know?
- 01.Bailey was the first printer to refer to George Washington as the 'Father of His Country' in print.
- 02.He produced the first official printed edition of the Articles of Confederation, the first governing constitution of the United States.
- 03.In 1787, Bailey became the first American publisher to print the writings of Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.
- 04.He served as official printer for both the Continental Congress and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania simultaneously during the revolutionary period.
- 05.His daughter-in-law continued the family's printing legacy by managing a press shop in Philadelphia as late as 1818, a year after his death.