The American Revolution and the Press: The Promise of Independence

One. Introduction

3 On July 4, 1776, one of the most celebrated events in American history occurred in Philadelphia. On that day, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, explaining why the thirteen colonies had chosen to break away from Great Britain. The members of the Congress believed that it was very important to present their reasons for declaring independence in a public, written format. From the very beginning of the disagreements with Britain, published materials had played a central role in presenting the various arguments over taxes and the rights of the colonials, and would continue to be important throughout the American Revolution. Of particular importance were the newspapers published on a regular basis from Maine to Georgia. Americans either sought out copies of the newspapers themselves or went someplace where they could hear them being read aloud. Newspapers were the major source of information about what was happening elsewhere in the colonies. Historians have long studied and discussed the factors that led to the American Revolution, and they have always given ample credit for the success of the revolt to the press,and particularly the INTRODUCTION ONE 4 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE PRESS newspapers,for their efforts during the conflict.1 Even those historians who wrote in the years immediately after the war praised the press for its many contributions to ultimate victory. In discussing the Stamp Act and its impact on New Hampshire,Jeremy Belknap declared that the newspapers were “filled with essays, in which every plea for and against the new duties was amply discussed.”2 Another of the earliest historians of the American Revolution, David Ramsay of Charleston, South Carolina, affirmed that “in establishing American independence, the pen and the press had a merit equal to that of the sword.”3 Yet, although scholars have agreed that the newspapers played an important part in the move toward independence, they have disagreed on the exact nature of that role. Some of these debates have grown out of discussions of how newspapers were produced. Today, the jobs of printer, editor, and publisher are filled by separate individuals, but one person often did most or all of these jobs in the eighteenth century.Thus, over the years, studies have credited eighteenth-century journalists with everything from providing part of the building blocks for American democracy to establishing the beginnings of professional journalism in the United States;from fueling a class conflict between those in and out of power to serving as a reflector of the growing unity that existed in the American colonies long before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. In general, there are five different views of the role of the mass media during the Revolutionary War. The nationalist/romantic schools dominated prior to the Civil War. The developmental school,which came to prominence after the Civil War,has proved the most pervasive and continues to be the most dominant interpretation . The progressive school appeared in the early twentieth century, but has remained influential since that time. The consensus and cultural schools both appeared following the Second INTRODUCTION 5 World War. Obviously, these groups overlap, but each has certain characteristics that differentiate it from the other outlooks. All of these groups have impacted how we think about the influence and impact of newspapers in winning American independence from Great Britain. During the first half of the nineteenth century, historians emphasized the patriotism of the printers in their efforts to help America establish its republican system of government as a model for the rest of the world to follow. These scholars are often classified as nationalist or romantic in their outlook and conclusions. For these historians, the American colonies had an important role to play in making the world a better place to live through the spread of democracy and freedom,and the newspapers served well in helping to bring about the break with Great Britain that led to these developments. Much of the history written by these historians discussed the “great men” of journalism who worked during the American Revolution. The emphasis was on the importance of individuals in creating American mass media that kept the people informed on the issues involved in the conflict with Great Britain. The historians of this school knew most of the people they wrote about, and some had experienced the American Revolution personally. They believed strongly in the role of the printers in producing...