Is history retweeting itself?

Before social media there were mechanical printing presses. In the 1700s, American colonists relied on presses to disseminate information. When malcontents and revolutionary firebrands such as Ben Franklin published criticism of the British government for all to read, the Brits tried to stop the presses. Tactics included:

• Censorship — England licensed printing presses only to those who did not criticize church or state.
• Taxation — The 1712 Stamp Act created a financial burden for printers by taxing newspapers, pamphlets, ads, even paper. Levying taxes was also a good way to keep tabs on those who owned presses.
• Prosecution — Criticizing those in authority was considered libelous and litigable. Publishers were taken to court by the government.

Prior to and during the Revolutionary War, printing presses became important tools for sowing the seeds of discontent through such publications as Thomas Paine‘s Common Sense.

Interesting how closely this parallels what is going on today in Iran and China, where internet access is restricted and criticism of the government suppressed!

Now our freedoms are protected. The First Amendment to our Constitution reads in part: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Will Iranian revolutionaries achieve the same? To track via social media what is happening in Iran, here are some tips from the blog, Mashable.