The American Minerva

The American Minerva was a pro-Federalist daily newspaper founded in New York City in 1797 by Noah Webster. It was published alongside a semi-weekly paper called The Herald, which consisted of reprinted selections from the daily. Webster sold both papers in 1803. The founding of The American Minerva was part of Webster's broader efforts to promote a distinctively American education and culture through his writings and publications. Newspapers in North America, following independence, generally experienced less restrictive laws on publication compared to colonial times. This environment allowed for the development of partisan newspapers that engaged in political debate and public campaigns, shaping the character of the modern popular newspaper.12