The period from the end of the 19th century to 1960 was one of significant change and development in the popular magazine industry. The growth of an interlocking railway system in the earlier part of the 19th century had presented new distribution opportunities for magazine publishers, who quickly exploited them. Later in the century, the introduction of cheaper paper and smoother print surfaces enabled the development of half-tone printing. Other factors, such as the introduction of rotary presses and mechanical typesetting, also had a significant impact on costs and speed of production.

Countering assumptions about early American print culture and challenging our scholarly fixation on the novel, Jared Gardner reimagines the early American magazine as a rich literary culture that operated as a model for nation-building by celebrating editorship over authorship and serving as a virtual salon in which citizens were invited to share their different perspectives. The Rise and Fall of Early American Magazine Culture reexamines early magazines and their reach to show how magazine culture was multivocal and presented a porous distinction between author and reader, as opposed to novel culture, which imposed a one-sided authorial voice and restricted the agency of the reader.