Generated from local file. Cache size:400 (not visible in beta/prod)
John Peter Zenger
Zenger, John Peter - zĕngˈər, 1697–1746, American journalist, b. Germany. He emigrated to America in 1710 and was trained as a printer by William Bradford (1663–1752). Zenger began publication of the New York Weekly Journal in 1733, an opposition paper to Bradford's New York Gazette and to the policies of Gov. William Cosby. Zenger's newspaper, backed by several Read More...
Zenger, John Peter - zĕngˈər, 1697–1746, American journalist, b. Germany. He emigrated to America in 1710 and was trained as a printer by William Bradford (1663–1752). Zenger began publication of the New York Weekly Journal in 1733, an opposition paper to Bradford's New York Gazette and to the policies of Gov. William Cosby. Zenger's newspaper, backed by several prominent lawyers and merchants, truculently attacked the administration. Although most of the articles were written by Zenger's backers, Zenger was legally responsible and was arrested on libel charges and imprisoned (1734). In the celebrated trial that followed (1735) Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton, who established truth as a defense in cases of libel. The trial, which resulted in the publisher's acquittal, helped to establish freedom of the press in America. Zenger later became public printer for the colonies of New York (1737) and New Jersey (1738). See biography by L. Rutherford (1904, repr. 1970); V. Buranelli, ed., The Trial of Peter Zenger (1957, repr. 1985). The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved. |
12 of the Best Books and Articles on: John Peter Zenger
as selected by Questia School librarians.-
1.
-
2.
The Press on Trial: Crimes and Trials as Media Events (Chap. 1 "The Case of John Peter Zenger (1735) 'A Monkey...about 4 Foot High'")
by Lloyd Chiasson Jr. 227 pgs.
Perhaps no drama catches the interest of the American public more than a spectacular trial. Even though the reporting of a crime may quickly diminish in news value, the trial lingers while drama builds. Although this has become seemingly more pronounced in recent years with the popularity of televised trials, public interest in criminal trials was just as high in 1735 when John Peter Zenger defended his right to free speech, or in 1893 when Lizzie Borden was tried for the murder of her father and stepmother. This book tells the stories of sixteen significant trials in American history and their media coverage, from the Zenger trial in 1735 to the O. J. Simpson trial in 1995. Each chapter relates the history of events leading up to the trial, the people involved, and how the crimes and subsequent trials were reported.
-
3.
The Bill of Rights: Its Origin and Meaning (Chap. 15 "The Case of John Peter Zenger")
by Irving Brant. 567 pgs.
-
4.
American Political Trials (Chap. 2 "Politics, the Press, and the Law: The Trial of John Peter Zenger")
by Michal R. Belknap. 323 pgs.
An updated and expanded revision of a popular book published in 1981, American Political Trials examines the role of politicized criminal trials and impeachments in U.S. history from the early colonial era to the late twentieth century. Each chapter focuses on a trial representative of a particular era in the American past. The emphasis is on cases that resulted from political persecution, but the book also shows how defendants have exploited the judicial process to advance their political objectives. All of the chapters appearing in the earlier book have been updated. In addition, the volume includes new chapters on the 1637 trial of Anne Hutchinson and the 1989 trial of Lt. Col. Oliver North for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. The book also includes an updated bibliographical essay.
-
5.
Debating the Issues in Colonial Newspapers: Primary Documents on Events of the Period (Chap. 5 "The Trial of John Peter Zenger, 1735")
by David A. Copeland. 397 pgs.
With this unique collection of primary source documents from colonial newspapers, students will be able to debate the issues of colonial America. Pro and con opinion pieces, letters, essays and news reports that were printed in colonial newspapers will help the reader to understand the differing viewpoints of colonial Americans on the key issues from 1690 to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Nearly 300 documents, organized chronologically by event, will help readers step back in time to debate the issues faced by 18th-century Americans. The work covers 31 events from abolition, religion, and women's rights to the Stamp Act crisis and the Boston Tea Party.
-
6.
Banned in the Media: A Reference Guide to Censorship in the Press, Motion Pictures, Broadcasting, and the Internet (Chap. Two "Prominent Examples of Media Censorship: The Trial of John Peter Zenger, 1735")
by Herbert N. Foerstel. 252 pgs.
From colonial times to the present, the media in America has been subject to censorship challenges and regulations. This comprehensive reference guide to media censorship provides in-depth coverage of each media format--newspapers, magazines, motion pictures, radio, television, and the Internet--all of which have been, and continue to be, battlegrounds for First Amendment issues. Each media format is examined in-depth, from its origins and history through its modern development, and features discussion of landmark incidents and cases. Foerstel, author of Banned in the U.S.A., the acclaimed reference guide to book censorship in schools and public libraries, offers a brief history of media censorship, examines in-depth the drama of seven landmark incidents, and includes 31 relevant court cases. Complementing the volume are personal interviews with prominent victims of media censorship, who give human voice to the struggle of the media to remain free, and an examination of censorship of the student press.
-
7.
By These Words: Great Documents of American Liberty, Selected and Placed in Their Contemporary Settings ("Peter Zenger Fights for Freedom of the Press" begins on p. 22)
by Paul M. Angle, Edward A. Wilson. 434 pgs.
-
8.
Historic U.S. Court Cases: An Encyclopedia Vol. 2 ("Myth and Reality: The Case of John Peter Zenger" begins on p. 897)
by John W. Johnson. 1089 pgs.
This collection of essays looks at over 200 major court cases, at both state and federal levels, from the colonial period to the present. Organized thematically, the articles range from 1,000 to 5,000 words and include recent topics such as the Microsoft antitrust case, the O.J. Simpson trials, and the Clinton impeachment. This new edition includes 42 new essays as well as updates throughout, with end-of-essay bibliographies and indexes by case and subject/name.