Posted
on August 22, 2016
When
we talk about someone named “Franklin” printing stuff in Colonial
America, I think of Benjamin Franklin.
(I
also think of him as a kite flier and as author of Poor Richard's
Almanac and and and...a lot of things!)
But
before Benjamin Franklin became a newspaper printer / publisher, he
was an apprentice to his older brother, printer / publisher James
Franklin. Ben had to take over for James with The New England
Courant, based in Boston, Massachusetts, because James was
punished for printing negative opinions about church and governmental
authorities. James was first imprisoned and then court-ordered not to
publish the Courant any
longer. James moved on to an entirely different colony, Rhode Island.
During
all of this – the accusation / jail / court order / move – James
Franklin was married to a woman named Ann Smith Franklin. She made
the move to Rhode Island, too, and together the two launched Rhode
Island's first newspaper, The Rhode Island Gazette.
That
was in 1732.
Ann
Smith Franklin gave birth to five children. She prepared meals,
raised and educated her children, did the housekeeping, AND set type,
operated the printing press, and sold paper and books in the
Franklin's small shop.
Yes,
she basically did the equivalent of five full-time jobs!
In
1735, James died. Ann now had the full responsibility of supporting
their children. She was able to land a contract to print the
official publications of the General Assembly of Rhode Island. This
mean she printed law books, election ballots, legal forms, and even
Rhode Island's currency (money)!
 |
| It may be hard to read, but this says, "Printed by the Widow Franklin." |
And
almanacs! Almanacs were popular back in colonial America. They
contained a calendar, astronomical events, weather predictions, and
wisdom in the form of quotes. Ann Franklin became the first woman in
America to write an almanac.
You
probably know that many babies and children died before they could
become adults, back then, partly because of illnesses that we now are
able to vaccinate against. Ann Franklin had to endure two of her
children dying at a young age, but three of her children survived and
became good helpers in the printing business. Eventually her son
apprenticed with his uncle, Benjamin.
In
1758, Ann and her son James began to publish the Newport
Mercury. Unfortunately, Ann's
daughters had both died, and in 1762, her son died as well.
At that point, Ann Smith Franklin was 65 years old. She had outlived her husband and five children. She was in poor health. Still, she did not miss a single issue of the Mercury.
It
is on this date in 1762 that people consider that Ann became the sole
editor of the newspaper—a first in Colonial America!
Ann
Franklin died in 1763. Her legacy lives on, though – she was the
first woman inducted into the University of Rhode Island's Journalism
Hall of Fame.
Also
on this date:
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