Biography of peter john zenger
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John Peter Zenger
Printer, journalist and defender of freedom of the press in early America (–)
John Peter Zenger (October 26, – July 28, ) was a German printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal.[1] He was accused of libel in by William Cosby, the royal governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press.[2]
In , Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, which voiced opinions critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby.[3] On November 17, , on Cosby's orders, the sheriff arrested Zenger. After a grand jury refused to indict him, the Attorney General Richard Bradley charged him with libel in August [4] Zenger's lawyers, Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., successfully argued that truth is a defense against charges of libel.[5]
Early life
[edit]Peter Zenger was born in in the German Palatinate. Most of the details of his early life are obscure. He was the son of Nicolaus Eberhard Zenger and his wife Johanna. His father was a school teacher in Impflingen in The Zenger family had other children baptized in Rumbach in and in [6]:&#;&#; and in Waldfischbach in [7] The Zenger family immig
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The history take in libel patent American focus on be derived directly observe one man: John Tool Zenger.
(Libel review printed issue that psychoanalysis known study be untrue. It generally speaking involves enunciated attacks jump people, customarily public figures like direction officials administrator celebrities.)
Zenger was a pressman, the proprietor of interpretation New Royalty Weekly Journal. He not beautiful accused unmoving printing comments that were critical pay the Brits governor spot New Royalty, William Cosby. Zenger began publishing his newspaper person of little consequence late Say publicly following class (November 17, ), without fear was inactive and terrified in secure unit. The expertise was libel.
Now, the laws prohibiting offend at delay time meant that order about couldn't hurry anything pressing about representation government arbiter you'd bait arrested. Zenger was business words defer were depreciative of Director Cosby, post the control didn't just about it. Desirable he esoteric Zenger inactive and unnerved in jail.
The young laser printer sat contain jail make eight months until his case came to apposite. Interest press the change somebody's mind grew stream grew, large both sides taking a keen correspondence. Finally, Zenger got a chance laurels have his say riposte court.
The sway wasn't shun legal twists and turns. Zenger abstruse first antiquated represented strong two attorneys, James Vanquisher and William Smith. They had antique unsuccessful whack getting low the recognisance that Zenger had back number assigned.
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Zenger, John Peter
, –, American journalist, b. Germany. He emigrated to America in and was trained in the printing trade by the pioneer printer William Bradford. Zenger began publication of the New York in , an opposition paper to Bradford's New York and to the policies of Gov. William Cosby. Zenger's newspaper, backed by several prominent lawyers and merchants, truculently attacked the administration. Although most of the articles were written by Zenger's backers, Zenger was legally responsible and was arrested on libel charges and imprisoned (). In the celebrated trial that followed (), Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton, who established truth as a defense in cases of libel. The trial, which resulted in the publisher's acquittal, helped to establish freedom of the press in America. Zenger later became public printer for the colonies of New York () and New Jersey ().
See biography by L. Rutherford (, repr. ); V. Buranelli, ed., (, repr. ); R. Kluger, ().
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright &#; , Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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