The second book in a six-volume series on the history of American journalism, this book focuses on the 50 years following the end of the Revolution, during which the American press grew and expanded. Newspapers played an important political role as the press became involved in the partisanship that characterized most of this period. As political parties grew in the United States, newspapers became an essential part of the communication network for the dissemination of the ideology of the parties. In this volume, Humphrey clearly presents the changing role of the press in American society—from a vehicle through which to convert people to a particular point of view, to a provider of news and information.