The Trial of John Peter Zenger, of New-York, Printer; who Was Tried and Acquitted, for Printing and Publishing a Libel against the Government. With The Pleadings and Arguments on both Sides
- [4], 74, [2]pp. 8vo
- London: P. Brown, 1752
London: P. Brown, 1752. Third London edition. [4], 74, [2]pp. 8vo. Expertly bound in quarter calf and marbled paper boards. Very good. Third London edition. [4], 74, [2]pp. 8vo. Zenger's trial represented the first case involving freedom of the press in America: “One of the famous decisions in legal history, establishing the epochal doctrine of the freedom of the press” (Howes).
In 1733, John Peter Zenger published articles critical of the New York colonial Governor William Cosby in his newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal and was charged with libel. Represented by Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., the trial is particularly notable as the first use of truth as a defense against libel. The account of the trial was first published in New York in 1736, with various editions published in America and Great Britain beginning in 1738. ESTC T877; Howes Z6; Sabin 106309
In 1733, John Peter Zenger published articles critical of the New York colonial Governor William Cosby in his newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal and was charged with libel. Represented by Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., the trial is particularly notable as the first use of truth as a defense against libel. The account of the trial was first published in New York in 1736, with various editions published in America and Great Britain beginning in 1738. ESTC T877; Howes Z6; Sabin 106309