Chap. XXII.] Political Journals. 91 



Perhaps in no respect, and certainly in n© o^her 

 enterprise of a literary kind, have the United 

 States made such rapid progress as in the esta- 

 blisKment of political journals. At the beginning 

 of the eighteenth century there was no publication 

 of this kind in the American Colonies. The first 

 newspaper printed in America was i\\e BostonNews- 

 Leftery begun April 24th, 1704, in the tpwn, of 

 which it bears the name, by B. Green. The second 

 was the Boston Gazette, which commenced toward 

 the latter end of the year 1720, by Samuel Knee- 

 land. The next year a third was published, under 

 the title of the New-England Conrant, by James 

 Franklin *. Between the last mentioned year 

 and 1730, three other newspapers were published 

 in Boston, though some of them appear to have 

 been soon laid aside. As the first printing work 

 done in North America was executed in Massa- 

 chusetts, so in that colony the earliest, and for a 

 number of years the most vigorous aud success- 

 ful exertions were made for the establishment and 

 circulation of political journals. 



The first newspaper printed in Pennsylvania 

 was The American Weekly Mercury, by Andrew 

 Bradford, the publication of wliich commenced 

 December 22, 1719. The first printed in New 



ed in the year 1775, was 12G80000. In 1782 the number hacj 

 increased to 15272519. At the close of the century they were 

 still more numerous. 



* James Franklin was a brother of Benjamin Franklin, who 

 afterward became so conspicuous as a man of science and a po- 

 litician. Benjamin was at that time employed as am apprentice 

 in his brother's office, aad tontributed much tp render the Cow 

 fant popular. 



