LAD #2 - John Peter Zenger

LAD #2: John Peter Zenger


1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was a newspaper printer in New York. His newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal, attacked the royal governor, William Cosby, and said that his policies were corrupt. For this, Zenger was arrested on the charge of "seditious libel." This brought about an important court case in which Andrew Hamilton defended Zenger, who got him to be declared not guilty.

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

The controversy over the charges on John Peter Zenger was to if what he printed was unlawful, whether it told the truth or not. The chief royal justice of the case told the jury that they should not consider whether his statements were truthful of not. Hamilton's defense, however, contradicted what the justice said. He said that the liberty of the people to expose and oppose the arbitrary powers was in jeopardy of being lost. He also claimed that if a person was telling the truth, then that defends that person from libel.

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

This case forever influenced the way that Americans formed their government, as well as what freedoms they gave to their people. Most heavily, it created the feeling that people should have freedom of the press, which became part of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution years later. It also helped bring forth the feeling that democracy was a good form of government and made people realize that open public discussion should be encouraged, not discouraged.

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

The lasting significance of this trial is that it shaped the liberties that people in the United States of America have today. Without this trial proving that people should be allowed to voice their opinions publicly, America could end up as a completely different society. This trial, which led to a wide feeling that there should be freedom of press, moved people towards democracy being a good option for a government. As a result, people demanded more freedom from the British, and when they felt they were not getting it, they rebelled. The general feeling was that government should be ruled by the people and for the people. The freedom of press, which this trial proved was perfectly fine, was related to the freedom of speech and other freedoms guaranteed to people in the Constitution. What this trial demonstrated shaped the way that America was formed.