Benjamin Harris (publisher)

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Benjamin Harris was a former publisher of Whig books, pamphlets, and a newspaper in London. Harris was the editor of the first multi-page newspaper published in the United States, Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick on 25 September 1690. Harris was also active in community service, supporting homeless shelters and orphanages.

He also compiled the New England Primer, the first textbook in America.

Benjamin Harris was born in Great Britain to unknown parents. He is considered a publisher, writer, and the first American journalist (Mindich). He was an English bookseller and writer who became the first journalist in the British-American colonies. He flourished between the years of 1673-1716. (Encyclopedia Britannica). He was married with one son. His wife’s name is not clear but it is thought to be either Sarah or Ruth (Mindich).

His career was sensational and he was a daring person in the industry. Even so, his successful career as a publisher began in London in 1673. Many of his religious books and pamphlets took to attacking Catholics. After publishing the pamphlet, Appeal from the Country to the City in 1679 he was convicted of sedition and ordered to pay a fine he could not afford. After being released from prison, Harris resumed his anti-Catholic speak. From 1679-1681, Harris published a paper that displayed an early use of local news titled, Domestick Intelligence: Or News both from City and Country. He liked to cover local sensations in news. He moved to Boston in 1686 to start the London Coffee House. Provided both men and women, which was unusual at the time, the chance to have access to foreign newspapers and books. After publishing The New-England Primer and Tulley’s Almanach, he then set out to publish a newspaper (Mindich). The New England Primer was published around 1690. Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick was the first newspaper printed in America on September 25, 1690 (Biography Resource Center). Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick was a little paper with three pages of text. The fourth page was left blank for others to write handwritten pieces of news before being passed on to others. It was more of a modern newspaper because it focused on local news which was a favorite of Harris. It included gossip and unflattering reports which is also modern qualities of papers. The mixture of doubtful and uncertain reports as well as bans on printing without a license, which Harris did not have, caused his first issue to also be his last. The real reason is not completely clear on why the newspaper was shut down. Some very well may have supported the censorship and others just against printing without a license. The next newspaper didn’t get underway until 1704. John Campbell’s Boston News-Letter was the first American newspaper to last beyond the first issue. From 1690-1695, Harris continued to run his coffeehouse and publish books. He joined another partner, John Allen in partnership. In 1692, he received the official assignment to print The Acts and Laws of Massachusetts in 1692 (Mindich).

He started missing his native London and returned home in 1695. He started a series of short-lived newspapers before publishing the London Post from 1699-1706. He sold his paper, books, and almanacs from his printing shop and store. The location and date of Benjamin Harris’ death are unknown. With Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestic, Harris tried to create a paper that was nongovernmental and non-party based. On the other hand early 18th century journalists generally enjoyed government support. They lacked sensationalism and were drier. So modern papers relate more closely to Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick than they do from the ones that followed it (Mindich).

Works Cited

Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomas Gale. 2006. http://galenet.galegroup.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/servlet/BioRC

“Harris, Benjamin.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 27 Nov. 2006 http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9039340

Mindich, David T.Z. “Harris, Benjamin.” http://www.anb.org/articles/01/01-00375.html; American National Biography Online. Feb. 2000.