On this day in history, July 23rd, in 1829, the first patent for a typographer, the prototype to the typewriter was issued to William Austin Burt. 

The typographer enabled an individual person to type a document: a completely new approach to the typed word! Prior to the typograph, all printed materials were made using a printed press where skilled printers would set the type and imprint the type on large pieces of paper. Although his invention had potential, Burt’s invention was a commercial failure due to its difficulty of use. 

However, the typewriter, an advanced model of typographer, revolutionized the nature of the written word. 

Typewriters enabled users to write more quickly and efficiently with guaranteed legibility. This led to a whole new industry: clerical work. By the late nineteenth century, thousands of men and women were using typewriters to type records, contracts and legal documents. Writers, including Mark Twain and Henry James, and other inventors including Thomas Edison, also used the first generation of typewriters. By the 1880s, individual people, businesses, and churches could create and publish pamphlets, programs, newspapers and bulletins resulting in a proliferation and democratization of the typed word. 

The typewriter’s impact on the typed word greatly impacted the reach of God’s Word too. Missionaries reaching previously unreached people groups could type, copy and disseminate newly translated Bibles on the ground. The typewriter also led to a greater production of Bible versions, theology books, hymnals, and children’s ministry materials. 

Perhaps this is what Burt, a devout Christian who served widely in his church and community in Michigan, dreamed about when he invented the typograph. Although his invention was not a success in his lifetime, God used his invention to impact the world with His Word. Let’s trust the Lord for more Christians of Burt’s type, followers of Christ who faithfully use their gifts for kingdom purposes and entrust the result to God, who keeps and spreads His Word.