Blog Post #1 - The First Colonial Newspapers

Change is ultimately necessary and inevitable in human society. The changes in our society over the past few centuries have helped shape how we speak and act today. The development of technology, for one, has altered the entire idea of communication and has allowed for the rapid spread of information from one side of the world to the other. However, the importance of the press and the idea of news has remained consistent for some time now.

Although there were other English newspapers, the first colonial newspaper was not published until September 25, 1690 in Boston, Massachusetts. Publick Occurrences not only set the stage for future institutions and publications to come but also contributed to the creation of the First Amendment. After only one issue, the paper was shut down and publisher Benjamin Harris was tried for seditious libel. The government claimed Harris had no imprimatur, or license, to publish such a paper. 

Benjamin Harris believed that "the country shall be furnished once a month with an account of such considerable things as have arrived unto our notice." If it were not for his contributions, others may not have recognized the need of print journalism.

14 years later, John Campbell founded and published The Boston Newsletter. This was the first continuously published newspaper in America and ran for 72 years. It was the only newspaper to run during the American Revolution covering events like the Boston Tea Party, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. It kept the colonies informed during a significant time in history where the spread of information was key. The Boston Newsletter became the standard format for American papers to come.

These early forms of press play a key role in the development of journalism and media today. Publick Occurrences and The Boston Newsletter both contributed to the idea of freedom of press that is now defined in the First Amendment and applied everyday.