Robert Aitken (publisher)
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Robert Aitken (1734–1802) was a Philadelphia printer and the first to publish an English language Bible in the newly formed United States. He was born in Dalkeith, Scotland.
He started in Philadelphia as a bookseller in 1769 and 1771. He started publication of The Pennsylvania Magazine in 1775, continuing through 1776. He also printed copies of the New Testament in 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1781.
The war with Britain cut off the supply of Bibles to the United States with the result that on September 11, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a motion that would have instructed its Committee of Commerce to import 20,000 Bibles from "Scotland, Holland or elsewhere." This, however, was not a final vote. A second motion was made to pass an actual resolution to import the Bibles, but was postponed and never considered again. On January 21, 1781, Aitken petitioned the Continental Congress to certify his version of the Bible which he had already printed as being textually accurate. Congress agreed to his request to endorse his Bible as accurate to help out the American printing industry, but denied his other requests that his Bible "be published under the Authority of Congress," and that he be "be commissioned or otherwise appointed & Authorized to print and vend Editions of the Sacred Scriptures." Despite the endorsement by Congress, the 7 year interruption in the availability of Bibles, and over a year without any competition from imports, his Bible was a commercial failure and he ended up losing over £3,000 on the 10,000 Bibles he printed. His later attempt to have Congress buy his Bibles and give them to soldiers being discharged was rejected by Congress. He died in Philadelphia in 1802.
In 1968, Arno Press, in conjunction with the American Bible Society, published a facsimile of the original Aitken Bible of 1782. This Bible contains "An Historical Preface" written by Miss Margaret T. Hills, a former secretary for research for ABS. In her preface, she included the text of the original petition sent to the Second Continental Congress in July of 1777 by three Philadelphia clergymen: Francis Alison, John Ewing, and William Marshalle. Since books in general, and Bibles in particular were becoming more scarce, it was their desire to see copies of the Scriptures made available "for our schools and families, and for the publick worship of God in our churches." Their petition received very little action other than to be handed over to a Congressional committee for consideration, which consisted of three men: John Adams, Daniel Roberdeau, and Jonathan Bayard Smith. The war was the first priority, and the domestic materials to produce an American version of the Scriptures were extremely difficult to procure.
In 1780, another motion was introduced to Congress regarding the domestic printing of the Bible by James McLene of Pennsylvania and John Hanson of Maryland. Nothing substantial developed from this.
Finally, in January of 1781, Aitken presented the Continental Congress with a petition asking them to inspect and authorize his recently produced copy of the Holy Scriptures. Aitken had already begun printing the Journals of Congress and was asked to perform more work for them. His petition for Congressional authorization of his Bible would not have been considered by them to be an unseemly or illogical request since they were very aware of his work as a printer.
On September 1, 1782, a committee that had been appointed to consider Aitken's petition asked the chaplains of the Congress of the Confederation, the Rev. Dr. William White of Christ Church and the Rev. George Duffield of the Third Presbyterian Church, to examine his Bible for accuracy. On September 12, based upon the report of the committee, the Congress of the Confederation approved "the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion, as well as an instance of the progress of the arts in this country" and recommended his Bible to the American people.
In 1783, after Aitken's Bible had begun to be distributed, Dr. John Rodgers of the First Presbyterian Church of New York suggested to General George Washington that every discharged soldier be given a copy of Aitken's Bible. Since the war was coming to a close and Congress had already ordered the discharge of two-thirds of the army, the suggestion came too late. However, Washington said, "It would have pleased me well, if Congress had been pleased to make such an important present to the brave fellows who have done so much for the security of their country's rights and establishment."
While his endeavor may have been a commercial failure, Robert Aitken's Bible of 1782 was the only Bible in the history of the United States to ever receive Congressional endorsement.
References
- Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1967.
- The Holy Bible as Printed by Robert Aitken and Approved & Recommended by the Congress of the United States of America in 1782. New York: Arno Press, 1968.