New-England Courant

newspaper

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July 1, 2026

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The New-England Courant was a weekly newspaper founded in 1721 by James Franklin, Benjamin Franklin's older brother. It was the first independent American newspaper. Benjamin Franklin, at age 16, contributed essays under the pseudonym "Silence Dogood," which were popular and witty. The newspaper faced challenges, including censorship from provincial authorities, which led to Benjamin Franklin becoming its nominal publisher to keep it in circulation. This early experience in publishing was significant for Benjamin Franklin's later career.123

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Benjamin Franklin
Early life
…founded a weekly newspaper, the New-England Courant, to which readers were invited to contribute. Benjamin, now 16, read and perhaps set in type these contributions and decided that he could do as well himself. In 1722 he wrote a series of 14 essays signed “Silence Dogood” in which he lampooned…
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…founded a weekly newspaper, the New-England Courant, to which readers were invited to contribute. Benjamin, now 16, read and perhaps set in type these contributions and decided that he could do as well himself. In 1722 he wrote a series of 14 essays signed “Silence Dogood” in which he lampooned…
Read More