University of Virginia Library

HISTORY
OF
PRINTING IN AMERICA.

SPANISH AMERICA.

The art of printing was first introduced into Spanish
America, as early as the middle of the sixteenth century.
The historians, whose works I have consulted, are all
silent as to the time when it was first practiced on the
American continent; and the knowledge we have of the
Spanish territories, especially of Mexico and Peru, is so
circumscribed, that we cannot fix on any precise date as
the period of its commencement; but it is certain that
printing was executed, both in Mexico and Peru, long
before it made its appearance in the British North American
colonies. I do not mean to assert, however, that it is
impossible to ascertain the place where, and the exact date
when, the first printing was performed in the extensive
provinces belonging to Spain in America; but as respects
myself, I have found that insurmountable difficulties have
attended the inquiry.[1]

Chevillier refers his readers to some books printed
early at Lima, the capital of Peru.[2]

Luckombe writes[3] that "Printing was extended to
Africa and America, not indeed at the invitation of the
natives, especially of America, but by means of the Europeans;
and, particularly, of the Spanish missionaries, who
carried it to the latter for their ends; accordingly, we find
that several printing houses were established very early in
the city of Lima, and in several cities of the kingdom of
Mexico."

I am of opinion that the first printing press erected in
America was in the city of Mexico. I have, however, been
enabled to ascertain the time when the art of printing was
introduced into Mexico with greater precision than any
writer whose works have come under my inspection, and
have become acquainted with the name of one of the
earliest Spanish American printers, and can state with a
tolerable degree of certainty that the press was established
some years before 1569, in the city of Mexico. In 1571 a
large and laborious work was printed there, entitled Vocabvlario
En-Lengva Castellana y Mexicana, compuesto por el
muy Reuerendo Padre Fray Alonso de Molina de la Orden del
bienauenturado nuestro Padre Sant Francisco. Dirigido al mvy
excelente senor Don Martin Enriquez Visorrey destanueua España.
En Mexico, en Casa de Antonio de Spinosa, 1571.[4]

A press was secretly established by the Jesuits at Cordova
soon after they settled in Spanish America, at which
were printed grammars and dictionaries of Peru and the
missions. Printing was prohibited, excepting for the use
of government, in all the Spanish provinces; and Vieente
Pazos asserts that "at the breaking out of the revolution,
in 1810, from Lima to Monte Video, for an extent of more
than one thousand leagues, including Peru, Chili, and Rio
de la Plata, countries filled with cities, villages, universities,
colleges, schools, tribunals of justice, and men of
wealth and science, there was but one miserable old printing
press, and this formerly belonged to the Jesuits of
Cordova."[5]

Molina's book is numbered by leaves, not by pages.
The license for printing it is dated in 1569, and affords indubitable
evidence that a press was then operant in Mexico.
The epistle dedicatory is of the same date; and these
circumstances show that the book was two years in the press;
which is not at all improbable, as works of this kind cannot
be correct when hastily executed. Even at this time a
work of that class and magnitude, would not, in the ordinary
course of business, be printed from manuscript copy in
a much shorter period. It is to be presumed that the practice
with regard to title pages, was the same then as at the
present day; and that the title page of this book did not
go to press until the rest of the work was completed.

This dictionary, in two parts, consists, first, of 122 leaves,
or 244 pages, of Spanish and Mexican; and, secondly, of
162 leaves, or 324 pages, of Mexican and Spanish. A very

large cut of a coat of arms, probably that of the viceroy to
whom the book is dedicated, fills two-thirds of the title
page; the arms are in eight compartments, surmounted
with a coronet.

This book furnishes incontestable evidence that the
Spaniards established the press, in the American continent,
many years before the English planted a colony
in this quarter of the world.

The abbé Clavigero,[6] a Mexican writer, mentions that
"the laborious Franciscan, Bernardino Sahagun, composed
in pure and elegant Mexican language, three hundred and
sixty-five hymns, one for each day in the year;" and in a
note he adds, that he "saw a copy of this book in a library
of the Jesuits of Angelopoli, printed at Mexico, to the best
of his recollection, in the year 1540. If Clavigero is correct,
printing was introduced into Spanish America one hundred
years before it appeared in the English colonies.

Antonio de Herrera, in his General History of America,
from the discovery to 1554, observes in relation to the
rebuilding of Mexico by the Spaniards, which began in
1524, "such was the care and industry of Cortes the conqueror,
that all sorts of artificers resorted to the place.
There were soon erected a mint, a college, and a printing
house. So that the city became as renowned as any in
Europe." He afterwards mentions that in 1537, "the
viceroy ordered the college, founded by the Franciscan
friars, at Mexico, for teaching boys the Latin grammar,
should be finished." From this account we may conclude
that printing was introduced into Mexico previously to the
year 1540, and probably as early as 1530.

The religion of the Spaniards has suffered very little, if
any innovation; and many of the books they have printed
in America are on religious subjects. Copies of these,

together with those of various histories of the old world,
and of the discovery and settlement of America, which
have, from time to time, issued from the Mexican and
Peruvian presses, are, it is said, preserved in the colleges
of the capital cities in those provinces, together with many
heavy folio volumes in manuscript, respecting the country,
and written there. In this age of revolutions, those, and
the other provinces of Spain, may experience some convulsions
of the revolutionary tornado, by which their
parent state is desolated, in common with the other European
kingdoms. The time may not be far distant when
a spirit of freedom and a consciousness of their own
strength, may lead the people of the south to follow the
example of their northern neighbors, and establish their
independence; when that time shall arrive, strangers may
be permitted to explore their country without difficulty or
restraint.[7]

Mexico and Peru.

The books published in both English and Spanish
America, till within the last century, were, principally,
on religious subjects. Perhaps those produced in the
British colonies, anterior to our revolution, exceed in
number those published in Mexico and Peru; but, from
the best information I have been able to obtain, it appears
they were inferior, in point of magnitude, to the many
large and voluminous labors of the monks, on subjects of
devotion and scholastic theology, that have been printed
in the Spanish part of the continent. Besides books on

religious and devotional concerns, many large historical
works, a variety of dictionaries, grammars, etc., were produced
by the presses of Spanish America.

Notwithstanding the press in Spanish America was under
severe restrictions, yet the books allowed to be printed,
together with the works necessary for the purposes of
government, afforded it much employment; and, from
the best information I can procure, it appears that the
typographical performances, both in Mexico and Peru,
were not badly executed.

Gazettes have, for many years, been published in that
country; some say they were printed before the end of
the seventeenth century; that they were so, in the cities
of Mexico and Lima, is not improbable. An excellent
literary journal was for some time published in Lima,
entitled Mercurio Peruano.[8] Dr. Robertson, in his History
of America, mentions his being furnished with the Gazette
of Mexico for the years 1728, 1729, and 1730, printed in
quarto. Having examined the contents, he observes,
" The Gazette of Mexico is filled almost entirely with
accounts of religious functions, with descriptions of processions,
consecrations of churches, beatifications of saints,
festivals, autos da fé, &c. Civil or commercial affairs,
and even the transactions of Europe, occupy but a small
corner of this monthly magazine of intelligence." He
mentions, also, that the titles of new books were regularly
inserted in the Gazette; whence it appeared that
two-thirds of them were treatises on religion.[9]

A literary journal, entitled Gazeta de Literatura was for
a long time published in Mexico, and was continued in

1760, by M. Alzate, an astronomer; and in the government
of Guatemala, the Gazeta de Guatemala was continued
in 1800.

The press being under the absolute control of government,
we might expect to find the catalogue of Spanish
American publications confined within narrow limits; but
the fact is, that the works which treat of religion, history,
morals, and classical books, which in that country have
been printed, are numerous. Even the dictionaries and
grammars, for the use of the various nations of aborigines
in the Mexican provinces only, excite our surprise. Of
these the Abbé Clavigero,[10] the historian, mentions five
Mexican dictionaries and twenty Mexican grammars;
three Otomi dictionaries and four grammars; two Tarascan
dictionaries and three grammars; one Zapotecan
dictionary and one grammar; one Miztecan grammar;
three Maya dictionaries and three grammars; two Totonacan
dictionaries and two grammars; one Popolucan
dictionary and one grammar; one Matlazincan dictionary
and one grammar; two Huaxteean dictionaries, and
two grammars; one Mixe dictionary, and one grammar;
one Cakciquel dictionary, and one grammar; one Taramaran
dictionary, and two grammars; one Tepehuanan
dictionary, and three grammars.

Clavigero also mentions eighty-six authors held in high
estimation by the learned; thirty-three of whom were
Creoles," who have written on the doctrines of Christianity,
and on morality, in the languages of New Spain; "and he
remarks, "the books published in Mexico on religion are
so numerous, that of them alone might be formed a large
library." Their works, and the dictionaries and grammars
before mentioned, were, unquestionably, printed in the

provinces of Mexico; and it is not improbable that many
books, of the like kind, have been published in the extensive
provinces of Peru, in South America.[11]

Dr. Robertson prefixed to the seventh edition of his
history, a list of Spanish books and manuscripts, which he
consulted for that work.[12]

It evidently appears, that the most voluminous and
expensive works were published by the Spaniards; and
this is not altogether strange, as they possessed by far the
richest part of the country; and the settlement of the
southern part of the continent, and of Mexico, commenced
a century before that of the British colonies.

Saint Domingo.

A printing press was early introduced into the Spanish
part of this island; probably about the beginning of the
seventeenth century. It was seldom used, except for
printing the lists and returns, and other papers for the
different branches of the administration.

M. de St. Mery,[13] in his Description of the Spanish
part of St. Domingo, informs us, that "No works concerning
the colonies can be printed in them, without the
permission of the council of the Indies, and it is well
known that the council is not over fond of granting such
permissions. In the examination of the vessels that arrive,
strict search is made after the books proscribed by the

inquisition; and, as the convent of St. Lawrence the
Royal, has, in Spain, the exclusive privilege of printing
religious books, the senior auditor is exclusively charged
with the causes that this privilege may give rise to in the
island. If a work be printed at St. Domingo; twenty
copies of it must be delivered to the president, to be sent
by him to the council of the Indies, there to be buried,
like every thing else that is sent thither."[14]

In 1790, the printing house in the city of St. Domingo
stood in the vicinity of the palace of the president, or
governor general, and not far from the ancient cathedral;
which, with the prisons, and many ancient private houses,
form a square, which is used for a market place. The
cathedral was begun in 1512, and finished in 1540; and in
it were interred the remains of the celebrated Christopher
Columbus, the discoverer of this continent, which ought to
have borne his name. The cathedral also contained the
remains of his brother Bartholomew, or of Diego, the son

of Columbus. The coffins which contained their bodies
were discovered in 1783, when, in repairing the cathedral,
part of a thick wall was taken down. This fact St. Mery
mentions on good authority; which is corroborated by the
certificates of Don Joseph Nuñez, dean, dignitary of the
holy metropolitan and primatial church of the Indies, Don
Manuel Sanchez, canon, dignitary, &c., and Don Pedro de
Galvez, preceptor, canon, dignitary of the cathedral church,
and primate of the Indies. These certificates are dated at
Santo Domingo, April 26, 1783.

This part of the island was ceded by the king of Spain
to the French in 1795. The dust of Columbus was not,
however, suffered to remain in its deposit, subject to the
control of the French; the leaden coffin, with its contents,
was removed to the Havana, and on the 20th of January,
1796, with great pomp and ceremony, buried a third time.