With the ongoing conflict between Donald Trump and the news media, including the President blocking the access of selected news outlets to the White House and vilifying journalists, it’s important to revisit the struggle for a free press since the early history of the United States and its role in a democratic society. [Read more…] about New York’s Historical Defenses of Freedom of the Press
Ambrose Spencer
Ambrose Spencer: Libel, Blasphemy & Reform
The 6th Attorney General of New York State, Ambrose Spencer was born on December 13, 1765, in Salisbury, Connecticut. He attended Yale and graduated from Harvard University in 1783 at just 17 years old.
He studied law with John Canfield (ca.1740-1786) in Sharon, Connecticut and also with John Bay in Claverack, Columbia County, NY, and then with Ezekiel Gilbert in nearby Hudson. [Read more…] about Ambrose Spencer: Libel, Blasphemy & Reform