John Peter Zenger
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. 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.
John Peter Zenger | |
|---|---|
Andrew Hamilton defending John Peter Zenger in court, 1734–1735 | |
| Born | October 26, 1697 Impflingen, or Rumbach Rhenish Palatinate |
| Died | July 28, 1746 (aged 48) New York, Province of New York |
| Citizenship | British |
| Occupation | Newspaper writer |
| Years active | 1720–1746 |
| Known for | Zenger trial |
| Notable work | The New York Weekly Journal |
In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, which voiced opinions critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby. 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. Zenger's lawyers, Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., successfully argued that truth is a defense against charges of libel.