The New-England Courant
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The New-England Courant, one of the first American newspapers, was founded in Boston in 1721, by James Franklin. It was a weekly newspaper and the third to appear in Boston. Unlike other newspapers, i
August 7, 1721, first issue
The Ramage printing press, made in London, used by James Franklin
Cotton Mather, who supported the smallpox inoculation and was derided in the New-England Courant for doing so.
The New-England CourantJuly 16–23, 1722, featuring Silence Dogood editorial #9
The history of American newspapers begins in the 17th century with the publication of the first colonial newspapers. American newspapers began as modest affairs—a sideline for printers. They became a
The New-England Courant
…The New-England Courant (also spelled New England Courant), one of the first American newspapers, was founded in Boston in 1721, by James Franklin. It was a weekly newspaper and the third to appear in Boston. Unlike other newspapers, it offered a…
A selection of American newspapers from 1885, with portraits of their publishers: Top row: The Union and Advertiser (William Purcell) - The Omaha Daily Bee (Edward Rosewater) - The Boston Daily Globe (Charles H. Taylor) - Boston Morning Journal (William Warland Clapp) - The Kansas City Times (Morrison Mumford) - The Pittsburgh Dispatch (M. O'Neill). Middle row: Albany Evening Journal (John A. Sleicher) - The Milwaukee Sentinel (Horace Rublee) - The Philadelphia Record (William M. Singerly) -
The New England Courant, the 7 August 1721 front page
Fanciful drawing of a rural general store . On the far left, a group of men listen to a reading of the weekly newspaper.
Lincoln spins the news—a Copperhead cartoon from 1862 (note the horns)