The Origins of a Free Press in Prerevolutionary ... - Web Publishing

press liberty emerged out of this dissidence and out of reliance on print as an engine
of the new, wider, political discourse. The conclusion is that from that more
popular expression, rather than solely from English law and political philosophy,
came the constitutional right of free press. Such freedom of communication was
seen as a civic responsibility, one that served the function of counterbalancing a
potentially corrupt government. The concept of a free press by 1776 went beyond
simply the idea of a press that was not licensed or directly censored. In Virginia,
liberty of the press ideals included protection from seditious libel prosecution after-
the-fact, truth as a defense for libel, and no taxation of the press. Because the
precedent of the Virginia Declaration of Rights influenced other state constitutions
and directly influenced the United States Bill of Rights, the development of
freedom of the press in Virginia is key to understanding the federal protection in
the First Amendment.
The conclusions here have some broad implications. The constitutional
right to press freedom emerged out of a struggle for the liberty of political dissent.
Such a culture of dissidence developed from the growth of political discourse,
especially within the public prints and spurred by the press. Thus, print itself as well
as the discussions spurred by the content of the printed material were key elements
of the changes in Virginia society that led to the rise of political dissidence and an
erosion of social deference. The analysis reveals much about the origins of the First
Amendment and also shows us a great deal about history of the Chesapeake
colonies. It demonstrates the important role of the medium of print as a cultural
influence. In addition, this research may have a greater significance in three broader
ways. First, it shows potential for improved historical understanding by allowing for
a more multidisciplinary approach. By using methods of exploration not commonly
utilized by historians (such as the significance of the medium of documents, not
merely the content of documents) and by using theories of mass communication to
better understand changes in past societies, this work may open up new paths for
understanding other times and places. Second, exploring how the new medium of
11