The Life of John Peter Zenger:
John Peter Zenger was born in Germany. In 1710 the Queen of England sent 3,000 refugees to New York. During the long trip across the ocean one fourth of the refugees died. Among the one fourth was Zenger's father. Zenger was 13 at the time. In 1711 he became a apprentice for William Bradford. After 8 years he moved to Chestertown. In 1722 he decided to return to New York, because he didn't have much luck in Chestertown. In 1732 William Cosby arrived in New York and became the new governor, and eventually fired the chief justice, Lewis Morris. Morris organized a powerful group of men who were also against the new governor. Morris needed a newspaper to publish articles against the government and at the time the government controlled the only newspaper in New York, the Gazette. They selected John Peter Zenger to be the publisher of the New York Weekly Journal. The authors of the articles in the journal were anonymous. So Zenger would take the credit for everything that was publish by law. This fact turned out bad for him in the end, because the journal published stories about the governor and the government. It would accuse the government of rigging elections, and letting the French explore the New York harbor. The articles would also point out the actions of the corrupt royal governor. The journal would also accuse Cosby of many crimes, and basically labeled him as an idiot. This made Cosby frustrated and in 1733 he accused Zenger of libel.
John Peter Zenger was born in Germany. In 1710 the Queen of England sent 3,000 refugees to New York. During the long trip across the ocean one fourth of the refugees died. Among the one fourth was Zenger's father. Zenger was 13 at the time. In 1711 he became a apprentice for William Bradford. After 8 years he moved to Chestertown. In 1722 he decided to return to New York, because he didn't have much luck in Chestertown. In 1732 William Cosby arrived in New York and became the new governor, and eventually fired the chief justice, Lewis Morris. Morris organized a powerful group of men who were also against the new governor. Morris needed a newspaper to publish articles against the government and at the time the government controlled the only newspaper in New York, the Gazette. They selected John Peter Zenger to be the publisher of the New York Weekly Journal. The authors of the articles in the journal were anonymous. So Zenger would take the credit for everything that was publish by law. This fact turned out bad for him in the end, because the journal published stories about the governor and the government. It would accuse the government of rigging elections, and letting the French explore the New York harbor. The articles would also point out the actions of the corrupt royal governor. The journal would also accuse Cosby of many crimes, and basically labeled him as an idiot. This made Cosby frustrated and in 1733 he accused Zenger of libel.