LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?
During the early eighteenth-century, John Peter Zenger, originally an emigrant from the country of Germany, was a printer for a New York Magazine known as the New York Weekly Journal. Upon publishing an article which clearly criticized the actions of Governor William Cosby, actions were made by this government official against his criticizer. Due to this, Zenger was thrown into jail and later placed on trial for the things which he had printed against Cosby in the journal segment.

2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.Despite the accusations against Zenger for his public criticisms against Royal Governor Cosby, Hamilton presented his defense clearly and precisely to the jury upon the trial's opening. Hamilton, stating that even though the articles were rather harsh in stating that the Governor had wrongly prosecuted an Interim Governor and removed a Chief of Justice, the accusations were none the less accurate. Furthermore, because of the truths which lay within Zenger's article about the Governor, thus giving the jury no reason to charge Zenger with libel, the jury made a final decision to name Zenger not guilty after only about fifteen minutes of conversing on their verdict.


3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?
The ruling in this case by the jury set many precedents for future cases such as this. In order to maintain a non-tyrannical and rational state of being in all publications, the ruling here of Zenger as being not guilty for his actions, of which is completely justified, exemplified to the American people that, in a court of law, a citizens liberties and God-given rights are to be guaranteed and protected.


4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.
The primary significance of this trial, at least one which has lived on into the realms of history today, is the protection of a citizens right to free speech. If the ruling had been guilty, a libel charge against Zenger which clearly infringes upon his liberties as a citizen due to the truths of his accusations against Cosby, tyranny and unjust trials could have been made the precedent for many trials to come. However, because of the not guilty ruling, forever exemplifying the freedoms guaranteed by numerous American documents, a citizen of this great nation can now feel solidified in their liberties under the Bill of Rights and a court of law.