The United States Congress Passed Legislation Establishing The Government Printing Office (GPO), Marking A Major Step In The Institutionalization Of Federal Government Communication. The GPO Was Created To Centralize And Standardize The Printing Needs Of The Federal Government, Replacing A Disjointed And Often Inefficient System In Which Different Government Departments Contracted With Private Printers. Prior To 1860, Federal Printing Was Carried Out Under A Patchwork Of Contracts Managed By Individual Agencies And Congressional Committees, Leading To Waste, Inconsistencies, And Allegations Of Favoritism And Corruption.
The Push For Reform Gained Momentum During The 1850s As Concerns Over The Cost And Accountability Of Government Printing Grew. Congress Responded By Passing An Act To Create A Unified Federal Printing Body. The GPO Was Tasked With Printing, Binding, And Distributing All Documents And Publications Issued By Congress And Executive Departments. The Establishment Of The GPO Reflected Broader Trends In Federal Bureaucratization And The Drive Toward Greater Transparency And Efficiency In Government Operations During The Mid-Nineteenth Century.
One Of The First Major Responsibilities Assigned To The GPO Was The Production Of The Congressional Globe, Which Recorded The Proceedings Of The United States Congress. This Responsibility Cemented The GPO’s Role In Ensuring That Legislative Debates And Actions Were Preserved And Made Public. Over Time, The Office Took On The Printing Of Federal Budgets, Agency Reports, Statistical Abstracts, Legal Codes, And Other Documents Essential To The Functioning Of Government And The Public's Understanding Of Federal Policy.
Located In Washington, D.C., The GPO Began Operations In 1861, Just As The Civil War Was Erupting. The Office Quickly Became A Key Instrument In The Union War Effort By Producing Recruitment Posters, Military Manuals, And Wartime Legislation. Despite Wartime Pressures, The GPO Maintained High Output, Demonstrating The Strategic Value Of A Centralized Printing Agency During National Emergencies.
The First Superintendent Of The GPO Was John D. Defrees, A Newspaper Publisher And Political Ally Of President Abraham Lincoln. Under His Direction, The GPO Implemented Professional Standards In Typography, Layout, And Paper Usage. It Also Hired Skilled Compositors And Press Operators, Many Recruited From The Nation’s Leading Private Printers. The Workforce Included Both Union Laborers And, Later In The Century, Women Compositors, Reflecting Gradual Social Changes Within The American Labor System.
By The Late Nineteenth Century, The GPO Was Among The Largest Printing Facilities In The World. Its Role Expanded To Include The Publication Of The Statutes At Large, United States Reports, And The Federal Register. The Office Also Maintained The Public Printer Role, An Official Position Appointed By The President And Confirmed By The Senate, Tasked With Managing Federal Printing Policy And Budgeting.
The GPO’s Impact On The Democratization Of Information Cannot Be Overstated. By Making Government Reports And Proceedings Widely Available, It Played A Central Role In Enhancing Public Accountability And Supporting The Functioning Of A Free Press. Libraries Across The Country, Including Those In The Federal Depository Library Program (Established In 1895), Received GPO-Printed Materials, Ensuring That Citizens Had Access To Government Information Without Financial Or Geographic Barriers.
In The Twentieth Century, The GPO Adapted To Changing Technologies, Introducing Linotype Machines, Offset Printing, And Eventually Digital Formats. The Office Printed Key Documents For Both World Wars, The New Deal, And Major Legislation Including The Civil Rights Act, Medicare Laws, And Environmental Regulations. Despite Technological Change, The Core Mission Of The GPO—To Authentically Produce And Distribute Federal Information—Remained Constant.
In 2014, Reflecting Its Shift Toward Digital Publishing, The GPO Was Renamed The Government Publishing Office, But Retained Its Original Acronym. Today, The Office Continues To Serve Congress And Federal Agencies Through Its Publication Of The Congressional Record, Federal Regulations, And Presidential Documents, Both In Print And Online Through GovInfo.gov.
The Establishment Of The GPO In 1860 Marked A Foundational Moment In The History Of American Government Communications. It Created A Lasting Infrastructure For Federal Transparency And Standardized Documentation, Strengthening Democratic Institutions And Ensuring That The Work Of Government Remained Accessible To The Public.
References / More Knowledge:
Congressional Research Service. The Government Publishing Office: Issues and Legislative History. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 2015.
Government Publishing Office. A Short History of the United States Government Publishing Office. Washington, D.C.: U.S. GPO, 2016.
U.S. Government Publishing Office. Keeping America Informed: The U.S. Government Publishing Office—A Legacy of Service to the Nation, 1861–2016. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2016.
U.S. Statutes at Large. Act of June 23, 1860, Chapter 210, 12 Stat. 112.