A defining moment in the history of freedom of the press in the United States came in 1735 when jurors refused to convict a man for seditious libel. Who was that man?
A)George Washington
B)Ben Franklin
C)Paul Revere
D)John Zenger

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The man who was not convicted for seditious libel in 1735 was John Zenger, a printer of the New York Weekly Journal. He had published articles critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby, and was arrested for seditious libel. However, his lawyer successfully argued that the articles were based in truth and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, leading to a landmark decision in support of freedom of the press.

A Defining Moment in the History of Freedom of the Press