Question

Why were circulations so low in the early days of colonial papers?

A) Lack of literacy
B) Lack of interest
C) Lack of printing technology
D) Lack of funding

Answer 1

Colonial paper circulations were initially low due to high costs and low literacy rates, but increased over time as literacy improved and reading materials became more accessible.

Step-by-step explanation:

The circulations of colonial papers were so low in the early days primarily due to low levels of literacy and the high cost of printed materials, making it difficult for individuals at the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum to participate in print culture. Early newspapers in colonial America, which emerged around 1704 in Boston, faced various challenges including the Stamp Tax of 1765 increasing paper costs. However, as literacy rates gradually increased among the middle class by the end of the eighteenth century, reading clubs and lending libraries began to expand access to printed materials, thus increasing public readership and literacy rates over time.