Why did the colonists believe in the freedom of the press?

Answer 1

At first they didn't. In fact, most of the colonists accepted the rule of the King of England. But gradually that point of view would change, as British rule began to seem more arbitrary and more unfair. The King of England tried to maintain a tight grip on control of the colonies, and one tactic was to restrict the press: he would not allow anything printed that criticized the monarchy or disagreed with his official policies. Thus, while there were newspapers printed in the American colonies, the editors had to submit to censorship by the Royal governors he had appointed, before anything could be published.

The colonists were increasingly unable to speak their mind in public; if they tried to express any opposition to the king's rules, they could be arrested and accused of being traitors. But as the king's actions began to seem increasingly unjust, the colonists wanted freedom of the press in order to express their opinions and exchange ideas, as they struggled with a system they believed needed to be changed. One of many tipping points occurred in 1735, when a journalist named John Peter Zenger was arrested and nearly sentenced to death for criticizing the king and the royal governor; although he was ultimately set free, incidents like the Zenger case further intensified the colonists' desire for freedom of the press; the majority of the colonists would soon become strong advocates for both freedom of speech and freedom of the press.