William Caxton and the Printing Press

Born in 1422, Caxton became the first English printer. Although the process was still labour intensive, the creation of the printing press made it easier for people to gain access to books. They were not as expensive as a hand-crafted book, and there were more copies in circulation. With easier access to books, literacy was on the rise again. This impacted the English language because more people were attempting to understand the written word than ever before.

What's interesting about Caxton is that he is also a translator, so many of the books he printed were also translated by him as well.