Questions: Based on your reading of Chapter 6, identify and discuss at least one significant event or development (not including the Zenger case) that represents a turning point in America's struggle for free expression. Why was this event or development important? What significance did it have? Who was involved?
Write a substantive paragraph in the comments section below that addresses these questions. Happy reading.
16 comments:
After the postmaster of Boston, John Campbell, lost his job in 1718 he insisted on continuing to print the Boston News-letter. The new postmaster, William Brooker, and the colony of Massachusetts were thus forced to begin another newspaper.
In 1719 the first issue of the Boston Gazette was published and Boston now had two newspapers. Even more so, the people of Boston now had two different sources of information to get their news from.
The fact that there were now two newspapers did not only create more options for the citizens of the colony but a means for competition within the Massachusetts government. Campbell’s News-letter became the voice of the assembly while Brooker’s Gazette served the governor’s purpose. The assembly decided to publish an attack on the governor’s and council’s commandeering of legislative power in the News-letter. The Governor Shute responded by publishing a speech in the Gazette that read: “…whoever is a lover of the priviledges of peace and Good order of this province, will be very desirous to have a law made to prevent this pernicious and dangerous practice”. The assembly responded by declaring: “Should an Act be made to prevent the Printing and Book or paper … the people of the colony would be under …dangerous Circumstances”.
This event was significant because the introduction of various sources of news provided the people with a great opportunity for public debate.
S.Johnson
James Franklin’s publication, the New-England Courant, was significant in America’s development of ideals of free expression. Franklin was arrested and jailed for comments that offended the government, specifically Governor Shute, and religious leaders of the Massachusetts colony. In his publication, Franklin remarked on government actions and he also “ran into more legal troubles as he returned to bashing the Puritan clergy of the colony” (149). Franklin was jailed and upon release was ordered to have his published work approved by a government secretary. Instead, in order to get around government orders, James Franklin was no longer listed as the publisher, but his brother Benjamin Franklin was. After facing arrest again, Franklin was put in front of a jury. The jury concluded Franklin did not break any laws.
This case is important, most specifically, because it involves a jury in a trial involving free press, which was progressive for the era. In turn, this allowed the American people to judge the ideas of free press, publication, and speech.
“According to Robert W.T. Martin, the growing tendency in America to use a juries in trials involving the press helped to expand the notion of free press, helped to promote America’s newspaper culture, and even helped change political culture” (150). Therefore this case, not only was advocated for free press, but it advanced many other factors of American culture.
Elizabeth Kubik
I agree with Elizabeth Kubik because the career of James Franklin, provides a case study in the use of polemics for a free press. A printer who actively courted controversy, Franklin found it necessary to use an unusual variety of strategies and reasons to evade or overcome potential legal, religious, and economic restraints. He demonstrated how far a printer could go in criticizing authority and in offending important information to the rest the population. He was ahead of his time in the early point in the development of American journalism
MANGA
The ability of juries to rule upon cases based on their own consciences rather than the dictates of the government is a crucial aspect of liberty in any context. It is particularly interesting in the case of freedom of the press, since the content of free printing may influence jurors in their practices. Editorials about free speech were often significant in encouraging free speech in practice.
When James Franklin was on trial for failing to obtain approval from the government for what he printed, he had a fair chance to be acquitted, as in fact he was. The jury had only to rule that Massachusetts licensing laws were illegal. This was critical because it indicated that citizens were gaining a foothold over the government in the battle to end censorship. Colonists were beginning to have a voice in lawmaking, early footsteps to democracy.
M Kadin
A great development in the development of the free press in Boston was the debate between inoculation against smallpox vs. non-inoculation. Puritan minister Cotton Mather advocated the then radical procedure of inoculation, aided by Zabdiel Boylston. The New England Courant, led by John Checkley and Dr. William Douglass, was fervently anti-inoculation. The debate raged for weeks while up to 60% of the Boston-area population was threatened with contracting the disease.
To me, this was a pivotal event in the establishment of a free press because it serves as an excellent starting point for free expression and debate in the colonies. Both sides were able to publish their views, and the public was able to learn about the new procedure and debate its merits through an open forum. We take that role of the press for granted today: we just assume that newspapers should provide competing viewpoints and facts about situations so that we can determine what is best. It was important to have the debate about inoculation because it expanded the role of the free press and established the idea of a newspaper as a forum for debate about public issues.
The last post was Soren.
As can be seen from today's economic problems, economic hardship can be a vehicle for change. This happened to be the case in colonial America during the early 1700s. As Copeland states here, press became THE essential medium of news and thoughtful exchange during this early colonial economic crisis: "Like their countrymen in England, the people of Massachusetts turned to the press as a means of airing their thoughts on the problem" (141). Boston's two main papers, The Boston Gazette and Boston News-Letter, served as crucibles for the free-flowing ideas of the day and helped set in motion a series of events that would culminate in the elimination of licensing in the colony of Massachusetts. This took only thirty years whereas is had taken close to a century to do the same in England.
-BZ
James Franklin introduced the New England Courant to Boston in 1721. Franklin announced that the newspaper would “expose the vices and follies of persons of all ranks and degrees” (145). The Courant was the medium for a public debate between those in favor of, and against, smallpox inoculation. Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister, advocated inoculation, and used the paper as a means to spread the message. John Checkley, the leading Boston Anglican, saw this as an opportunity. He used the paper to voice his own opinion, smearing the Puritan ministers idea. The free public debate was now a means of political and religious squabble. The Courant and the public debate over smallpox inoculation paved the way for future free writing. People became less afraid to print their own opinions, even when these opinions were moderately controversial. The Courant was able to “demonstrate that a voice unafraid of tackling major issues could provide society with stimulating essays and ideas for debate (147).
Jacob Niebergall
i believe an event that helped in bringing the free expression age about would definitely have to be the acts of James Franklin (Benjamin Franklins older brother. the ploys of the government to try and censor the press didnt stop James from printing hisNew-England Courant was him trying to point out what the government should and demanding it, well governments dont like to be told what to dohowever even after a arrest warrant was put out after James he posted a 100 pouns bail bond and still printed his paper, the acts of ignoring what consequences would come about from speaking the truth was steadily losing its power over the printers because the thought of telling the truth far out weighrd the scary notion of jail.
last post Jon Bell
When John Campbell lost his job as the post-master in Boston and decided to continue with a publication it raised many new problems in Boston. There were now to papers for the government to try and monitor as opposed to just one. Campbell's paper soon became the "voice of asssembly" in Boston. This call to assembly eventually lead to some of the first "paid advertising" to occurin the newspaper business. This then lead to the questioning of Govener Shute and his licensing attempts he threatened to carge those printing with seditious libel if they did not have a license. But the assembly challenged this idea and for the first time in Boston the press was free of licensing.
last comment was Richard Why
James Franklin, who initially printed the "Boston Gazette" and later the New-England Courant", was a historic turning point for free speech because he vowed to "expose the Vices and Follies of persons of all Ranks and Degrees" and did not let up even after being arrested several times. He began by publishing the inoculation debate over smallpox, then proceeded to made remarks about the governments involvement with piracy, which was deemed unacceptable. Despite spending a month in jail, he continued to ignore the request to have his paper censored by the state. Franklin went as far as bashing the Puritan clergy in his Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the jury refused to convict him despite the law regarding a license requirement (jury nullification). Juries were an important way of expanding free press in the late colonial period, because if left to ones peers they often times refused to acknowledge the orders of the government. Although some believe that Franklin's paper was not overt in its criticism of political and religious officials, he certainly paved the way for others to follow his example of disobedience to the law in order to obtain freedom of speech.
Patrick K
ch.6 turning point for free expression...
John Campbell and William Brooker printed news for the Boston news-letter, which gave the people of Massachusetts two different sources to rely apon. The fact that their were more than one source created competition amongst the two. Campbell was the voice of the public and williams reported whatever the government wanted the public to hear. What i found interesting about that was the fact the public fought for their right to be able to express their thoughts and feelings about government issues
dion toliver
I think that the Great Awakening provided a huge turning point for the history of freedom of expression. Religion has always been a hot topic for discussion, and it created divisions in oppinion, which created more competition between the presses. Also, with this Great Awakening came the preacher Whitefield, who sparked a common controversy to discuss in all of the states of AMerica. He also is given credit of being the first person to use a public relations agent. He employed someone to go to whatever place he was going to be speaking at next and give them a press release, so that they could be ready when he came into their town to debate. We still have public relations agents now for the press, but they act as more of damage control.
Courtney Chadney
One of the turning points for free expression was the contributions made by James Franklin. He published the "New-England Courant" and stimulated open debate on subjects that weren't allowed legally. He was imprisoned for his actions and was heard through a jury which was another helping stepping stone for free expression. Even after being thrown in jail, he still continued to openly debate issues in his publications. For about six to seven months, "Franklin's paper published cutting satire, adding several essays on freedom of the press by its cadre of writers known as the Hell_Fire Club"(149). This is interesting to take note to because it shows an organization or a group of people that are striving for the freedom of the press. Other events that occurred to accelerate free expression was the Great Awakening, Whitfield, and other people who spoke out and encouraged free expression throughout the new colonies.
James Reed
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