August 22 – First Female Editor of American Newspaper

nPostednon August 22, 2016

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nWhennwe talk about someone named “Franklin” printing stuff in ColonialnAmerica, I think of Benjamin Franklin.

n(Inalso think of him as a kite flier and as author of Poor Richard’snAlmanac and and and…a lot of things!)

nButnbefore Benjamin Franklin became a newspaper printer / publisher, henwas an apprentice to his older brother, printer / publisher JamesnFranklin. Ben had to take over for James with The New EnglandnCourant, based in Boston, Massachusetts, because James wasnpunished for printing negative opinions about church and governmentalnauthorities. James was first imprisoned and then court-ordered not tonpublish the Courant anynlonger. James moved on to an entirely different colony, Rhode Island.

nDuringnall of this – the accusation / jail / court order / move – JamesnFranklin was married to a woman named Ann Smith Franklin. She madenthe move to Rhode Island, too, and together the two launched RhodenIsland’s first newspaper, The Rhode Island Gazette.

nThatnwas in 1732.

nAnnnSmith Franklin gave birth to five children. She prepared meals,nraised and educated her children, did the housekeeping, AND set type,noperated the printing press, and sold paper and books in thenFranklin’s small shop.

nYes,nshe basically did the equivalent of five full-time jobs!

nInn1735, James died. Ann now had the full responsibility of supportingntheir children. She was able to land a contract to print thenofficial publications of the General Assembly of Rhode Island. Thisnmean she printed law books, election ballots, legal forms, and evennRhode Island’s currency (money)!

It may be hard to read, but this says,
“Printed by the Widow Franklin.”

nShenalso did a lot of other sorts of printing. Sermons, ads, popularnbooks, broadsides (large sheets of paper that could be posted herenand there – pretty much an old-fashioned sort of social media!).

Andnalmanacs! Almanacs were popular back in colonial America. Theyncontained a calendar, astronomical events, weather predictions, andnwisdom in the form of quotes. Ann Franklin became the first woman innAmerica to write an almanac.

nYounprobably know that many babies and children died before they couldnbecome adults, back then, partly because of illnesses that we now arenable to vaccinate against. Ann Franklin had to endure two of hernchildren dying at a young age, but three of her children survived andnbecame good helpers in the printing business. Eventually her sonnapprenticed with his uncle, Benjamin.

nInn1758, Ann and her son James began to publish the NewportnMercury. Unfortunately, Ann’sndaughters had both died, and in 1762, her son died as well.

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nAtnthat point, Ann Smith Franklin was 65 years old. She had outlived hernhusband and five children. She was in poor health. Still, she did notnmiss a single issue of the Mercury.

nItnis on this date in 1762 that people consider that Ann became the soleneditor of the newspaper—a first in Colonial America!

nAnnnFranklin died in 1763. Her legacy lives on, though – she was thenfirst woman inducted into the University of Rhode Island’s JournalismnHall of Fame.

nAlsonon this date: