Briefly describe the circumstances which led the jury's 1735 decision about freedom of the press.
History · High School · Wed Jan 13 2021
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The reference to the 1735 decision about freedom of the press likely pertains to the trial of John Peter Zenger in colonial America. The case is a landmark in the history of the freedom of the press and played a crucial role in shaping the principles underlying the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Circumstances:
- John Peter Zenger: Zenger, a German-American printer, was charged with seditious libel in 1734 for publishing critical articles in his newspaper, the New-York Weekly Journal, targeting the colonial governor of New York, William Cosby.
- Seditious Libel: At the time, truth was not necessarily a defense against charges of libel. The prosecution argued that Zenger's articles were seditious libel because they criticized the government