Printer's Trial, TheAges: 10 and up Pages: 104 List Price: $18.95 Cover: Hardcover Published: 10/1/2006 ISBN: 1-59078-432-4 ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-432-7 |
The foundation was laid on an August day in 1735 in colonial New York. In a hot, crowded courtroom, a jury found printer John Peter Zenger innocent of the charge of seditious libel against the British royal governor. Combining narrative with voices from primary sources, the book shows the conflict between characters that led to this momentous trial in American history. The jury's verdict established the political precedent for the right of people to criticize their government in print and helped shape the Bill of Rights more than fifty years later. Reviews"With clear affection for the topic, Jarrow presents an engaging narrative. ...Captions provide students with needed details on key figures, events, and the printing process. Reproductions of contemporary illustrations and of pages from the New-York Weekly Journal appear throughout. The author's extensive research is evident from the lengthy notes and bibliography. ...An inspiring introduction to one of America's dearest values. An excellent supplement to history units." "The discussion begins with a good summary of Zenger's legal battle and why it matters, followed by a helpful, annotated list of participants and an intelligent discussion acknowledging the limits of research based on those printed records that have survived. Jarrow clearly organizes and discusses the events leading up to the Zenger trial, its influence on political publishing and discourse in the colonies before the Revolution, and its long-lasting effect on freedom of the press. ...This clear presentation of the case and its significance may attract browsers as well as report writers." "Jarrow's method matches the sophistication of her topic. A typical two-page spread includes a primary document and explanatory caption on the left-hand page, and the author's narrative on the right. But don't be fooled by all the primary documents into thinking the book is dry and scholarly. They record political shenanigans so outrageous that even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert would sputter and gasp." |
