, 1859-02-25
Early American Newspapers.

The newspaper in the New World dates
back to an earlier period than our annaliSts
generally allow. In the Dictionary of
Dates, by Putnam, it is stated, in accord
ance with the general belief, that the first
American newspaper was the Boston NetoS
Letter, of 1904 In the State Paper Office,
at London, there is, however, a copy (per-
haps the only one eXtaut} Of folio news
paper sheet, printed at Boston, and bear
ing the date of September 25, 1890. This
little herald of Knowledge created alarm
among the powers that were, and its pub
lication was interdlcted and suspended.
Nearly fourteen years later-upon the
goth of April, l704-the Neus Letter was
first published, and the period of its con-
tinuance exceeded the respectable age of
three score and ten" 1t appeared at first
only weekly, and was at first upon sheet
not much larger than letter page not
folded, with two columns upon each side.
Its subscription price was not stated, but
it was announced that il would be supplied
upon reasonable terms to perSouS agreeing
with John Campbell, Postmaster, for the
same" 1t is worthy Of mention, perhaps,
that the early newspaper publishers were
nearly all PoStmaSterS-a fact that may be
accounted for by the facilities which their
Office gave them for the circulation of their
journals For fifteen years the NerS Lel-
Ter was
without rival near the THRONE
when, hll at once, two other journals Sprang
up to challenge the laver and patronage of
the reading public. These were the Gazette,
at Boston, and the american Mercury, at
Philadelphia, which were so nearly twins
in birth, that they bear dates of two con
Secutive days in the year l7l9
In 1921, james Franklin commenced the
publication OF the COurant, the rivalry be-
tween which print and the Net0s Letter
gave an impulse and pew vitality 10 the
latter, aud increased the public interest in
newspaper literature. The Nelcs Letter
was loyal to the mother coantry, 10 the
close OF its existence, with the termination
of the siege of Boston, in l7TG. The COu-
rant attacked the government and its OFF =.
GERS, and its lampoons were frequently Sc
we're and even bitter In less than six
months james Franklin was forbidden by
the council to publish it, an order with
which he complied, though the paper was
continued, with. the uame Of Beniumin
Franklin, now so memorable in the annals
of Typography. 1t ceased altogether in
1927.
1t was not until the year 1925, twenty
one years after the first date of the NeWs
Letter, and when Boston had three papers,
that the first newspaper made its appear
ance in New York, where now the journals
exceed in humber and extent Of circulation
those of any city upon this continent. In
1871, the newspaper pushed its way south
as far as Charleston, which had its Gazette,
the sixth regular journal in the United
States, and just in advance of the first
Rhode Island newspaper. Viginia follow
ed, With the Williamsburg Gazette, in 1916,
and, at the time Of the revolution, the num-
Der of colonial newspapers amounted to
thirty-fve.
Since the establishment of our indepeud-
ence, and especially since the impetus Civ.
en- to emigration from the old States, by
the application Of steam to locomoton Oh
the waters aud the land, the newspaper
press has increased beyond all precedent,
and until the United States furnishes more
reading than oil the world beside.