John Roberts on the Zenger Trial
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts talks about the 1735 trial of printer John Peter Zenger.
Description
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts spoke about the trial of John Peter Zenger in 1735. He explained how the trial shaped the First Amendment and the judicial branch of the U.S. government.
Bell Ringer Assignment
- What was John Peter Zenger's job?
- What crime was Zenger charged with? What was the English Common Law definition of that crime?
- Why did the jury decide to acquit Zenger?
- What did the verdict show about the views of colonists?
Additional Resource
Participants
Vocabulary
- 1st Amendment
- Acquitted
- Conviction
- Disrepute
- John Peter Zenger
- Judiciary
- Seditious Libel
- William Cosby