LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was a German immigrant who came to America and became the printer and editor of the New York Weekly Journal. Zenger criticized New York Governor William Cosby for corruption in government including the prosecution of the Interim Governor Rip Van Dam as well as the removal of the Chief Court Justice Lewis Morris. The Governor was infuriated by the negative press put out by Zenger and he had him arrested for "Seditious Libel."

2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.

The controversy over Zenger's charges were that the people believed that his claims were not slanderous if they were in fact true. During the trial, Hamilton spoke directly at the jury, urging them to understand that if a statement is true, it is impossible to be libelous because it is simply stating the fact of the matter. This approach in trial ultimately led to Zenger's freedom.

3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?

This case initiated a new outcome in libel suits. Lawyers could now preach that if a statement is in fact true, that it is not libelous at all. It also resulted in judges seeing libel cases in a new light and resulted in different outcomes in libel cases.

4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.

The lasting significance of the trial of the John Peter Zenger trial was the major advancement of the freedom of the press. This trial also set a new standard in how to go about libel trials. Due to the outcome of his trial, newspapers were now allowed to print articles that were allowed to criticize things as long as the article was true. In addition, newspapers no longer had to worry about going to court over their article as long as the information in the articles was true.