Colonial Communication (1620-1770s)

1. Background
   1. Economic and political structure of colonies mercantilism
   2. Massachusetts Bay Colony
   1. Puritan influence
   2. theocratic government
   
   
2. CMU in early colonies
   
   1. town meetings
      
   2. town pump
      
   3. county fairs
      
   4. taverns and coffee houses*
   5. educational system*
   6. sermons*
   
   
3. Conditions leading to 1st paper
   
   1. population growth
   2. improved economy
   3. improved transportation and postal system
   4. growing leisure and educated class
   5. emerging newspaper tradition in England
   6. licensing
   
   
4. Early Papers
   
   1. Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and
      Domestick (1690)-- Ben Harris
      1. first attempted newspaper
      
      
   2. John Campbell's News-letter (1704)
      1. first true newspaper
      2. published with license
      
      
   3. New England Courant (1721)--James Franklin
      1. first true newspaper w/o license
      2. paper had business backing-- Hell Fire Club
      3. introduced English essayists to America
   
   
5. Ben Franklin

   A. Contributions to journalism

   1. wrote book on writing
   2. once of best early writers
      • Silence Dogood Letters
   3. Pub of Penn. Gazette (1729)
   4. forerunner of PR
   5. started first newspaper "chain"
   6. became deputy postmaster
   7. Poor Richard's Almanack
   8. General Magazine (1741)
   9. first foreign language paper (Zeitung)
   
   
6. Zenger Case
   
   1. one of the most celebrated cases
      in Am. involving freedom of press
      
      1. did not change press law-- importance is symbolic
      
      
   2. Cast of characters
      1. John Peter Zenger--printer of NY Weekly Journal
      2. James Alexander--attorney general and advocate general of NY--advocate general of NY-- anonymous editor of Journal
      3. William Cosby--Royal gov. of NY and object of Journal criticism
      4. Rip Van Dam--acting gov. before Cosby
      5. Chief Justice Lewis Morris-- removed from bench by Cosby
      6. Andrew Hamilton--lawyer for Zenger
      
      
   3. Trial
      1. libel law said that truth not a defense
         • jury to decide whether printer published work
      2. Hamilton argued truth as defense
         • words needed to be false, malicious and seditious
      3. jury ignored law, ruled for Zenger
      
      
   4. Conclusion
      1. did not change law--Zenger could have been retired
      2. significance: colonists asserting right to criticize