James Printer

James Printer. James Printer, also known as Wowaus, was a Nipmuc man who became a pivotal figure in the early history of printing in the United States. He worked as a typesetter and printer at the Cambridge Press in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, contributing to some of the most significant texts of colonial New England, including the Eliot Indian Bible. His life, spanning the tumultuous period of King Philip's War, embodies the complex intersections of Indigenous identity, cultural adaptation, and survival in seventeenth-century America.

Early life and family

James Printer was likely born around 1640 into the Nipmuc people, whose traditional territory encompassed central Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island. He was possibly related to the Pawtucket leader Tahattawans. As a youth, he was among the first students at the Indian College at Harvard College, which was established to educate Native American youth in Christianity and English literacy. This education immersed him in Puritan theology and the Latin and Greek classics, while he maintained his Algonquian linguistic heritage. His bilingual and bicultural skills positioned him uniquely between the world of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and his own Nipmuc communities during a time of increasing tension.

King Philip's War and captivity

The outbreak of King Philip's War in 1675 forced James Printer into a perilous position. Initially remaining in the praying town of Hassanamisco, he eventually joined the coalition led by Metacomet, also known as King Philip, likely under duress or for protection. He was present at the siege of Brookfield and was later captured by colonial forces. In 1676, he was tried by a council of war in Boston and sentenced to death for his role in the conflict. His life was spared, reportedly through the intervention of the missionary John Eliot, who valued his printing skills. Printer was instead indentured to the printer Samuel Green to work off a fine, returning him to the Cambridge Press.

Printing career and notable works

James Printer's most enduring contributions were made at the Cambridge Press, the first printing press in British America. His expertise was crucial in the production of texts in the Massachusett language, which used a Latin script orthography developed by John Eliot. His principal work was the monumental Eliot Indian Bible (Mamusse Wunneetupanatamwe Up-Biblum God), published in 1663, which was the first complete Bible printed in the Western Hemisphere. He also typeset other vital works like Eliot's Indian Grammar Begun and the later revised 1661–1685 edition of the Bay Psalm Book. Following King Philip's War, he worked on the printing of the Humble Petition of the praying Indians and the influential captivity narrative of Mary Rowlandson, titled The Sovereignty and Goodness of God.

Later life and legacy

After fulfilling his indenture, James Printer returned to the Nipmuc community at Hassanamisco, where he lived until at least 1709. He served as a scribe and translator for his people, helping to navigate land transactions and legal matters with the colonial government. His life represents a remarkable narrative of resilience, skill, and cultural navigation. As a literate and technically skilled Indigenous man, he directly facilitated one of the most ambitious Puritan projects—the translation of Christian scripture—while enduring the violence of colonial expansion. Today, he is recognized as the first known Native American printer and a key figure in the history of the American book.