Indelible ink : the trials of John Peter Zenger and the birth of America's free press

Preamble: The Essential Liberty -- Author's Note on Style -- A Perilous Trade -- Stormy Petrel -- Power Plays -- Bending the Rule of Law -- Battle Lines -- A Superlative Monster Arises -- An End to Generous Pity -- Whiffs of Torquemada -- Philadelphia Lawyer -- Indelible ink -- Epilogue: From Zenger to Snowden.;In 1733, struggling printer John Peter Zenger scandalized colonial New York by launching the New-York Weekly Journal, which assailed the British governor as corrupt and arrogant -- a direct challenge to the prevailing law against "seditious libel", which criminalized any criticism of the government. Fronting for a group of powerful antiroyalist politicians, Zenger was jailed for nine months before his landmark trial in August 1735, when he was brilliantly defended by Philadelphia lawyer Alexander Hamilton. In this book, Richard Kluger recreates this dramatic clash that marked the birth of press freedom in America and its role in vanquishing colonial tyranny. The liberty of written and spoken expression has been fixed in the firmament of American social values since our nations beginning the government of the United States was the first to legalize free speech and a free press as fundamental human rights. But when the British began colonizing the New World, strict censorship was the iron rule of the realm. Any words, true or false, that were thought to disparage the government were prejudged as a criminally subversive and duly punishable threat to law, order, and the peace of the kingdom. Even after Parliament lifted licensing requirements for all printed material late in the seventeenth century, publishers did not escape the crowns strict scrutiny and prosecution if they dared criticize their rulers. So in 1733, when a small newspaper, The New-York Weekly Journal , printed scathing articles that assailed and mocked the new British governor, William Cosby, as corrupt and abusive of his power, colonial New York was scandalized but hardly displeased. The papers publisher, a previously impoverished print shop owner named John Peter Zenger, with a wife and six children to feed, in fact had no hand in his papers vitriolic content; he was only the front man for Codbys two most impassioned adversaries, New York Supreme Court Chief Justice Lewis Morris and his collaborator James Alexander, a shrewd and highly successful attorney. While Morris and Alexander, with fame and fortune to lose if convicted for seditiously libeling the colonys royal governor, bankrolled the paper but remained in the shadows, Zenger became the ventures courageous fall guy as Cosby brought the full force of his high office down upon the Journal and its publisher. Jailed for the better part of a year, Zenger faced a jury in New Yorks City Hall on August 4, 1735, a court proceeding matched in importance during the colonial period only by the Salem witch trials. In Indelible Ink , social historian Richard Kluger re-creates in rich and engaging detail the dramatic clash of powerful antagonists that marked the beginning of press freedom in America and its role in vanquishing colonial tyranny. Here is an enduring lesson that redounds to this day on the vital importance of free public expression as the underpinning of true democracy and the key to an informed electorate. In 1733, Struggling Printer John Peter Zenger Scandalized Colonial New York By Launching The New-york Weekly Journal, Which Assailed The British Governor As Corrupt And Arrogant -- A Direct Challenge To The Prevailing Law Against Seditious Libel, Which Criminalized Any Criticism Of The Government. Fronting For A Group Of Powerful Antiroyalist Politicians, Zenger Was Jailed For Nine Months Before His Landmark Trial In August 1735, When He Was Brilliantly Defended By Philadelphia Lawyer Alexander Hamilton. In This Book, Richard Kluger Recreates This Dramatic Clash That Marked The Birth Of Press Freedom In America And Its Role In Vanquishing Colonial Tyranny. Here Is An Enduring Lesson That Redounds To This Day On The Vital Importance Of Free Public Expression As The Underpinning Of Democracy. -- Preamble: The Essential Liberty -- Author's Note On Style -- A Perilous Trade -- Stormy Petrel -- Power Plays -- Bending The Rule Of Law -- Battle Lines -- A Superlative Monster Arises -- An End To Generous Pity -- Whiffs Of Torquemada -- Philadelphia Lawyer -- Indelible Ink -- Epilogue: The Uses Of Whistleblowers. Richard Kluger. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The untold story of the battle to legalize free expression in America by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Ashes to Ashes. The liberty of written and spoken expression has been fixed in the firmament of our social values since our nation's beginning—the government of the United States was the first to legalize free speech and a free press as fundamental rights. But when the British began colonizing the New World, strict censorship was the iron rule of the realm; any words, true or false, that were thought to disparage the government were judged a criminally subversive—and duly punishable—threat to law and order. Even after Parliament lifted press censorship late in the seventeenth century, printers published what they wished at their peril. So when in 1733 a small newspaper, the New-York Weekly Journal, printed scathing articles assailing the new British governor, William Cosby, as corrupt and abusive, colonial New York was scandalized.... "Vivid storytelling built on exacting research." —Bill Keller, New York Times Book Review In 1735, struggling printer John Peter Zenger scandalized colonial New York by launching a small newspaper, the New-York Weekly Journal. The newspaper was assailed by the new British governor as corrupt and arrogant, and as being a direct challenge against the prevailing law that criminalized any criticism of the royal government. Zenger was thrown in jail for nine months before his landmark one-day trial on August 4, 1735, in which he was brilliantly defended by Andrew Hamilton. In Indelible Ink, Pulitzer Prize–winning social historian Richard Kluger has fashioned the first book-length narrative of the Zenger case, rendering with colorful detail its setting in old New York and the vibrant personalities of its leading participants, whose virtues and shortcomings are assessed with fresh scrutiny often at variance with earlier accounts. In 1733, struggling printer John Peter Zenger scandalized colonial New York by launching the New-York Weekly Journal, which assailed the British governor as corrupt and arrogant -- a direct challenge to the prevailing law against "seditious libel", which criminalized any criticism of the government. Fronting for a group of powerful antiroyalist politicians, Zenger was jailed for nine months before his landmark trial in August 1735, when he was brilliantly defended by Philadelphia lawyer Alexander Hamilton. In this book, Richard Kluger recreates this dramatic clash that marked the birth of press freedom in America and its role in vanquishing colonial tyranny. Here is an enduring lesson that redounds to this day on the vital importance of free public expression as the underpinning of democracy. -- from author's website