Newspapers in the Colonies

    Most historians debate over the importance of press on the public voice. However, most historians agree on the importance of newspapers to spread information and news in the 1700s, some even saying the Americans would not have won if they hadn't had the press. Newspapers in the colonies truly began during the Stamp Act Crisis, and would continue playing an important part in colonial society through and after the war. The newpapers were used to report on events in the colonies, encourage revolutionary activity, and to build public morale. 

Newspapers were used commonly throughout the war to spread news. After open fighting broke out in Massachusetts, printers worked hard to keep readers informed about the course of the war. Often times, the war would prove hard for most printers to do their job. One printer, Isaiah Thomas, told his readers to "save rags for paper and to pay their bills on time so that the paper could continue to publish". Newspapers didn't just contain news, however. Often, they would have celebrations of American victories or songs and poetry, all of which was used to boost morale. Even before the fighting, newspapers would help spread the ideas of influential writers such as John Dickinson and Thomas Paine.