LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger immigrated to America from Germany with his family when he was thirteen years old. His father died on the trip over. He owned a printing shop in New York, which he had opened in 1726 and became very successful. However in 1733, until he was caught in the middle of a political dispute between Governor William Cosby and a wealthy group of men who aimed to fight politically against the Governor. Zenger worked with these men to publish negative articles in the New York Weekly Journal who he was now the editor of. The articles criticized  Cosby's corruption of the government and soon Cosby grew angry with Zenger and his newspaper. This resulted in Zenger being arrested and jailed for ten months.

2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.

The controversey over his charges were that although they were negatory, all of the information was true. The prosecution argued that just because the stories were published should convict Zenger, not mentioning the truth behind the articles. Andrew Hamilton, the lawyer who defended Zenger argued that although they articles were published, they could not be considered libel because they were true. Zenger was found not guilty.

3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?

This case greatly promoted freedom of the press and significantly altered the outcomes of future libel suits because now if the information was found to be true then it could be published. Judges would look at these cases in a new way as a result from the Zenger case, most favoring the defense.

4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.

The most significant lasting impact of his trial was that it led for improvements and progress in freedom of the press. It also allowed writers and publishers to put anything into a newspaper as long as it was true, without the worry of being sued by people whom the writing critcized. The trial paved the way for future advancements in freedom of speech, revolutionizing the cause in America.