Final answer:
The primary purpose of the passage is to present a comprehensive look at the newspaper publishing practices of the 1700s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary purpose of the passage is to present a comprehensive look at the newspaper publishing practices of the 1700s. The passage explains how newspapers played a vital role during the Revolutionary War, the evolution of the media throughout history, and the impact of technology on modern journalism. It also discusses how newspapers shifted from being partisan to presenting more professional and unbiased information.
Newspapers were printed on wooden hand presses with each applicatoin of ink to paper requiring a pull of by lever and screw. It was not until around 1816 that the new iron Columbian press came into general use.
Before the printing press was invented, word of mouth was the primary source of news. Returning merchants, sailors, travelers brought news back to the mainland, and this was then picked up by pedlars and traveling players and spread from town to town.