1st U.S. Typographer

U.S. patent letter signed by President Andrew Jackson

Historical Context

William Austin Burt patented the typographer in 1829, which makes it America's first typewriter. The model invented by Burt was destroyed in an 1839 fire at the US patent office.

Although other typewriters had been invented, Burt's was the first built in America and possibly the first properly built anywhere in the world.