LAD #2 John Peter Zenger

1.) John Peter Zenger was a writer in the colonies. He began to publish his own newspaper, and he called it  the "Journal." It came out weekly, and it was a place for Zenger to write about things that he didn't agree with. In it, he wrote about his opposition to the policies of governor William Cosby.

2.) There was a great controversy over the articles written by Zenger. The governor was arguing that it was "seditious libel," meaning that the articles were enough to convict Zenger.. However, his lawyer Andrew Hamilton  claimed that it was only seditious libel if the information was false, and Zenger and his followers knew it to be true. The jury knew it to be true as well, and Zenger was found not guilty.

3.) John Peter Zenger's trial paved the way for the modern American trial and said that when arguing against libel, truth was always a determining factor. His articles were sometimes looked at as slanderous, but all were based upon true fact. He believed that if one told the truth, then he should be free.

4.) The trial of John Peter Zenger also has one major lasting effect on America: freedom of press. Although John Peter Zenger was not the first man to voice his opinions and grievances against an oppressor, he was the first man to fight for his beliefs and win. Andrew Hamilton wrote that even if a statement is offensive or slanderous, if it is the truth, a person has a right to write it because it can be proved in one way or another.