By: Aisha Freeman, Ana Marx, Andrew Progin, Dejia Danhi, Julia DiSilvestre & Micah Banks

  It was the first muli-page newspaper published in the America’s.  Published by Benjamin Harris.  It was published September 25 th, 1690, in Boston, Massachusetts.  Government would not allow a second edition because it was critical of government Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick

  In 1733 John Peter Zenger wrote in a newspaper in New York to voice his disagreement with the trivial policies of newly appointed colonial governor William Cosby  On Sunday, November 17, 1734, Zenger was arrested and charged with seditious libel  Went to trial for seditious libel, which means he was stirring the people to rebel  Defended by Andrew Hamilton John Peter Zenger

  Defended John Peter Zenger for seditious libel  The charge was libel, which at that time meant anything critical of the Crown (or representatives of the Crown)  Hamilton appealed to jury saying Zenger had printed the truth and truth should be a defense  Jury acquitted Zenger and declared truth as a defense for libel  Since then Truth has been the absolute defense for libel Andrew Hamilton

  John Campbell was the editor  First published April 24 th 1704  First continuously published newsletter in North America Boston News letter

  Made the Boston news letter, 1 st continuously publishes newspaper issued weekly  Reported European wars and English politics  Reported Blackbeard the Pirate’s death from hand to hand combat John Campbell

  Founded August  James Franklin, Benjamin Franklin’s older brother, was the editor.  First paper to use humor in its essays  Published the Silence Dogood letters New England Courant

  Began printing the Courant in 1721 with his wife and brother Ben Franklin  Published eight editions of Rhode Island Almanack  James was imprisoned for four weeks in 1722 for writing scandalous libel James Franklin

  Ship captains brought over passengers and letters to share the information  This process took several weeks Sources for News in Colonial Times

  Seditious libel was a crime in the 17 th century England that made it illegal of speaking ill of the government in either writing or speech. The law against government criticism was passed in England's Star Chamber in 1606, during the case of De Libellis Famosis. Libel in Colonial Times

  Required all colonists to pay a tax for every piece of paper they printed  The money that was collected was used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier  Was actually a means of limiting free speech. If the government didn’t like you publication, they would not give you a stamp, and stamps were necessary before publications could be distributed. Stamp Act of 1750