Using to Inform
Previous to newspapers, word was spread verbally or through manuscripts. Newspapers had all the information laid out on a few sheets of paper that colonists had the privilege of access to. When looking at other researcher’s work related to this topic, I find that most argue that newspapers were there to help keep colonists informed of major events at the time. Thus leading to unity against Great Britain.1 Only about 600 newspapers circulated when published and sent out by horseback or ship. These newspapers were “read aloud in meeting houses, coffee houses, taverns, and private homes.2 ”During the war, commanding officers would report the details of the battle to the President of Congress. The President of Congress would report it to the news reporters, who would then publish it through newspapers. The majority of these newspapers shared patriot viewpoints as the authors valued their ideals. Many advocated for independence from Britain and ultimately, “print acted as a binding agent that mitigated the chances that the colonies would not support one another when war with Britain broke out in 1775”3/span>
The content that print brought was often from influential patriotism-structured writing within these newspapers and cartoons that many colonists found memorable. As colonists developed new perspectives during this time, the British taxed newspapers through the Stamp Act of 1765.4 The Stamp Act caused some printers to stop publishing newspapers. Some continued in their endeavors by using symbolic cartoons/images. This resistance to the Stamp Act further elevated the colonists' revolutionary sentiment ideas and brought unity within the colonies. While colonists in the South had different social and economic interests than those in the Eastern colonies, newspapers acted as a form of political unity and understanding between the colonies.
The power that newspaper journalism held during the revolution is truly seen in the results of the War. After the British defeat in September of 1787, American citizens had the opportunity to see a draft of the proposed constitution within the newspaper media being published throughout the nation. Newspapers published during this time were in full support of the Constitution. First, the media being put out there convinced colonies to fight for a sovereign, united nation. Now, with independence, newspapers were being utilized to invite colonists to fight for this construction that contained ideas of a new and structured nation.
1 “The American Revolution and Early Republic.” PBS Newshour Extra, www.journalisminaction.org/case/early-america. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.
2“Reporting the Revolutionary War.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-revolutionary-war/reporting-the-revolutionary-war-an-interview-with-todd-andrlik. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.
3, OUPblog. “The Impact of the Press on the American Revolution.” OUPblog, 21 Nov. 2016, blog.oup.com/2016/11/press-impact-american-revolution/.
4, Dylan. “Patriotism in Print: How Print Media Inspired the American Revolution.” The Historic New Orleans Collection, July 20, 2023. https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/patriotism-print-how-print-media-inspired-american-revolution.