First Newspaper Banned Fast


On September 25, 1690, a groundbreaking event in American media history unfolded in Boston. The first multi-page newspaper in America, titled Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick, made its debut. Published by Richard Pearce and edited by Benjamin Harris, this newspaper was a bold attempt to deliver news to the colony of England in America. Prior to this, only single-page broadsides had been published, but they lacked the consistency of a true newspaper.

Despite its modest size—just three pages of a four-page issue measuring 6 by 10 inches—Publick Occurrences aimed to become a monthly publication. Harris, an experienced publisher from London, brought his knowledge of the trade to Boston, ready to report on both foreign and domestic events. However, the newspaper's lifespan was abruptly cut short. Just four days after its release, on September 29, the colonial government banned its publication, citing concerns over "unreliable news." The authorities declared that no one could publish a newspaper without obtaining a license from the government.

This ban marked the end of Publick Occurrences and, for the next 14 years, no one in America attempted to print another newspaper. It wasn't until 1704 that the Boston News-Letter, officially approved by the colonial government, resumed the press under the banner "Printed with authority."

However, the seeds of press freedom had already been sown. On the same date, September 25, but nearly a century later in 1789, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed, guaranteeing freedoms that would shape the future of American democracy: freedom of the press, speech, religion, assembly, and the right to petition the government.

The story of Publick Occurrences is a reminder of the challenges the press faced and the long road to freedom that would eventually be enshrined in American law. From a single issue banned by colonial authorities to a free press protected by the First Amendment, America's journey toward freedom of the press is one of resilience and determination.