Colonial America's First Newspaper

It was called Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick, it was printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1689, and it survived one issue because it wasn't licensed. This means that colonial leadership exercised their authority due to their elite status to limit the nature of the information allowed to flow throughout the colony.

It featured a story of alleged atrocities committed by Indian tribes.

- Click here for it. 

The first and only issue, published Thursday September 25, 1690, had an account of a battle waged by General Fitz-John Winthrop during the French and Indian Wars covering the brutal treatment of French prisoners of war. No second edition was ever printed because the account angered the Colonial government, which ordered the immediate suspension of the paper, only four days later on September 29, 1690, and which referred to the paper as a "pamphlet" . All remaining issues of the newspaper were destroyed. The order stated:[7][5][8]

"Whereas some have lately presumed to Print and Disperse a Pamphlet, Entitled, Publick Occurrences, both Forreign and Domestick: Boston, Thursday, Septemb. 25th, 1690. Without the least Privity and Countenance of Authority. The Governour and Council having had the perusal of said Pamphlet, and finding that therein contained Reflections of a very high nature: As also sundry doubtful and uncertain Reports, do hereby manifest and declare their high Resentment and Disallowance of said Pamphlet, and Order that the same be Suppressed and called in; strictly forbidden any person or persons for the future to Set forth any thing in Print without License first obtained from those that are or shall be appointed by the Government to grant the same."

By Order of the Governor and Council,

— Isaac Addington, Secr.,
Sept. 29, 1690,

The colony in question was called the Dominion of New England.

The royal governor of the time was Edmund Andros.