How the First Typewriter and a Curious Layout Called QWERTY Changed Everything

Long before smartphones or laptops, a revolutionary machine quietly reshaped the way we write: the typewriter. It didn’t just speed up correspondence or introduce the now-familiar QWERTY layout; it also opened new doors for workers, especially women, to shape modern office life. But where did it all begin?

The First Practical Typewriter

In the 1860s, an inventor named Christopher Latham Sholes from Milwaukee began experimenting with a machine that could print letters. Originally intended to number pages and tickets, the idea quickly evolved when two friends encouraged him to take it further. Together with Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soulé, Sholes created a machine that could “write” mechanically one letter at a time.

After several prototypes and trials, the inventors received a patent in 1868. But it wasn’t until the machine was acquired by Remington & Sons, a company better known for sewing machines and firearms, that the typewriter went into full production. In 1874, the first commercially sold typewriter was introduced. It became the foundation for everything that came after.

Why Is the Keyboard Layout QWERTY?

Look at any typewriter or computer keyboard and you’ll notice something curious: the top row of letters begins with Q-W-E-R-T-Y. Why? The answer lies in the mechanics of early machines.

In the first designs, if a typist pressed two commonly used letters quickly, the typebars could jam. To reduce this, the inventors reorganised the layout to spread out frequent letter pairs. This slowed the typing speed slightly, but it prevented jams and kept the machine functioning smoothly. That layout, known as QWERTY, became standard when Remington adopted it in their typewriters.

And even now, more than 150 years later, it’s still the default on most English-language keyboards.

When Writing Became Work — and Women Took the Lead

At first, typewritten letters were seen as cold or impersonal. But the benefits—speed, clarity, and efficiency—quickly won over businesses and writers. Offices filled with the sound of clacking keys, and typed documents became the new professional standard.

Most remarkably, the typewriter opened the workplace to women in a way few inventions had before. Typing was a brand-new skill—one that didn’t “belong” to men or women—and so it became one of the first white-collar jobs widely available to women. Typing schools sprang up, and soon, female typists were a common sight in offices across the US and Europe.

The First Typists’ Union

One pioneering woman, Marian Sutton Marshall, took the movement even further. She opened one of the first all-women typing offices in London and later founded a professional union for typists. Her goal? To train women, organise them, and fight for better working conditions and fair wages.

Thanks to leaders like Marshall, typing became not just a job but a profession. Women could support themselves, gain independence, and take pride in their work. For many, it was a path toward greater roles in society—including writing, publishing, and activism.

A Legacy That Still Echoes Today

The typewriter changed the world not just how we write, but who gets to write. From a workshop in Milwaukee to offices around the globe, its legacy is still with us in every keyboard we touch. And its story reminds us: sometimes, a simple machine can open the door to something much bigger, new voices, new roles, and new possibilities.