LAD/Blog #2: Peter Zenger

1.) Who was Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zinger was a German immigrant who wrote for the New York Weekly Journal, and was not a huge fan of Governor Crosby. He was eventually arrested for his stance on the governor, on charges of Seditious Libel and rebellious tendencies.

2.) What was the controversy over his charges?

The controversy was that for Seditious Libel to be charged the statements that one makes condemning another need to be false, however the comments made by Zenger were all true. Despite the fact that he did publish the articles, and did criticize Governor Crosby, he only stated true facts so it was not a crime. This coupled with the judge's biases against him and previous incrimination in 1734 made for a very controversial trial.

3.) What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?

The main influence on the American government came in the form of the first amendment. After the trial the American population was strongly in favor of Zenger, and as a result the American government passed an amendment granting free speech to all citizens, and making Seditious Libel not a crime anymore.

4.) What is the lasting significance of his trial?

This trial opened the door for freedom of speech in America. This opened the door for staples of American society, such as freedom of the press, social media, and blogs like this one. Because of this trial freedom of speech has become a staple of American democracy.

Peter Zenger:

First Amendment:

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LAD/Blog #35: Home was a Horse Stall

Executive order 9066 was essentially a racist program that excluded Japanese Americans from everyday life in America due to the actions of their former nation. They were banned from the west coast and forced into internment camps where they essentially lived under oppressive, racist marshal law. This was especially painful for first generation immigrants as they had a personal connection with both nations. Many of them did not want to see their two home nations fighting, and held some allegiance to both, but most were more prone to defending the United States.This was also hard on Japanese children, as they were ripped away from their friends, lives, and schools and taken to internment camps. One example of this is Sox, and her difficult upbringing during this time. She is taken away from her home and placed in a new one. That home is a horse stall. This stall was in a small, crowded internment camp which Sox was forced to grow up in. Her experience illustrates how poorly the Japanese ...

LAD #37: FDR’s Executive Order 9066

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This case marks the beginning of the civil rights movements of the late 1950s to even present day. In Brown v. Board the supreme court unanimously ruled that schools can no longer be racially segregated. This contradicted the previous ruling of 1896, in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, that stated all publicly funded buildings could be separate but equal. This previous case had been deemed ineffective because all to often these separated facilities were not equal, with facilities that were dedicated to African Americans being significantly lower quality. This case was brought up originally because of Linda Brown, a girl barred from an all white school, and only given access to black schools which did not provide an equal education. Her defendants cited the 14th amendment, stressing that the State could not deny any person the equal right to protection of the laws, specifically the equal treatment under those laws which Linda Brown was not receiving. The Kansas District Court acknowledge...

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