When was the earliest court case involving freedom of the press in America?
A. 1734
B. 1753
C. 1779
D. 1801
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Answer: A, 1734 – The earliest recorded court case involved The New York Weekly Journal and British governor William Cosby. John Peter Zenger published a commentary critical of Crosby’s government and was imprisoned as a response. Crosby sought to charge Zenger with libel, but the court acquitted Zenger. Zenger’s acquittal became a landmark case for the future United States’ adoption of the Freedom of the Press in the Frist Amendment.
