Who was John Peter Zenger?
He was the printer of the New York Weekly Journal. He criticized Governor William Cosby.
What was the controversy over his charges?
He was charged with seditious libel. The judge, among others, wanted to imprison Zenger because he published the article even though they were true. Alexander Hamilton, Zenger's lawyer, appealed to the jury, asking them to change the question. It was obvious that Zenger had published the articles. Hamilton asked them to answer the question (basically) of "Are these statements false or true?" If the articles criticizing the governor contained false information then Zenger should have been found guilty of seditious libel. However, the facts were true, so Zenger hadn't committed seditious libel, he had simply stated the facts. He was therefore found not guilty.
What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?
Hamilton changed the definition of libel from "any statement against the government, true or false" to "a false discrediting statement". Sedition, and being imprisoned for it, from this point forward, was not a part of American governmental tradition.
What is the lasting significance?
His case set the precedent for later freedom of the press (included in the First Amendment), a necessary component of a democratic government.
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