John Peter Zenger got thrown in jailbecause he printed something false about the governor. (William Cosby)
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger
The Zenger Trial in 1735 set a precedent for freedom of the press in colonial America when John Peter Zenger, a printer, was acquitted of seditious libel charges after publishing critical articles about the colonial governor of New York.
John Peter Zenger criticized Governor William Cosby but was found not guilty.
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger is the name of the man who scored one of the first victories for freedom of the press when he opposed the governor of New York. Zenger was a journalist, editor, printer and publisher in New York City.
The lasting significance of Zenger's trial was a victory for freedom of the press. Newspapers could, from then on, print sensitive, criticizing articles if they were true. Hope this helps.
Almost one hundred years later, in 1735, a legal matter tested the patience of the colonists. It started when a New York newspaper criticized the governor, Sir William Cosby. Governor Cosby was very angry and ordered people to burn copies of the newspaper. He also ordered officers to arrest the newspaper's editor, John P. Zenger, for libel (writing or publishing comments that hurt a person's reputation). Zenger's lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, defended Zenger in court. Hamilton convinced the jury that Governor Cosby was wrong and the court let Zenger go. That trial resulted in freedom of the press, which would later become part of the First Amendment to the US Constitution
Trial of John Peter Zenger happened in 1735.