John Peter Zenger

John Peter Zenger
Andrew Hamilton defending John Peter Zenger in court, 1734–1735
BornOctober 26, 1697
Impflingen, or Rumbach
Rhenish Palatinate
DiedJuly 28, 1746 (1746-07-29) (aged 48)
New York, Province of New York
CitizenshipBritish
OccupationNewspaper writer
Years active1720–1746
Known forZenger trial
Notable workThe New York Weekly Journal
The trial, as imagined by an illustrator in the 1883 book Wall Street in History

John Peter Zenger (October 26, 1697 – July 28, 1746) was a German printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal.[1] He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the royal governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press.[2]

In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, which voiced opinions critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby.[3] On November 17, 1734, on Cosby's orders, the sheriff arrested Zenger. After a grand jury refused to indict him, the Attorney General Richard Bradley charged him with libel in August 1735.[4] Zenger's lawyers, Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., successfully argued that truth is a defense against charges of libel.[5]

  1. ^ "7c. The Trial of John Peter Zenger". US History. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  2. ^ Olsen, 2000, pp. 223–245
  3. ^ "Peter Zenger and Freedom of the Press". Early America. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Zenger Trial". History Empire. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  5. ^ Horton, Scott (28 February 2011). "The Obstinate Dr. Heicklen". Harper's Magazine.