John Behrent’s 1775 Piano
[click to read]
In Colonial America, most keyboard instruments were harpsichords, an instrument in which the strings were plucked to produce sound. However, a new instrument began replacing it in popularity towards the end of the 18th century. In 1775, an advertisement for the piano appeared in the Pennsylvania Packet, as well as in a German language newspaper. These were quite possibly the earliest reference to a commercially manufactured piano in America. (read more)