communication

 

The largest cities had daily newspapers, which went to regular subscribers only, at the standard price of $.06 a copy. Each sheet had to be printed separately on a hand press; with the text set by hand, letter by letter. Newspapers were often used to give public officers a means of communicating with the general public. In a letter dated January 16, 1787, Thomas Jefferson asserted: "The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs through the channel of the public papers ...Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." In addition to educating the general public, especially the voters, newspapers were used as propaganda vehicles and venues for presenting political platforms. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay used the New York Independent Journal as the vehicle to present their pro-Constitution essays, known collectively as the "Federalist Papers." Hamilton also used his newspaper, The Gazette of the United States, established in 1789, to express his political views. Edited by John Fenno, whose salary Hamilton guaranteed, the paper moved with Hamilton from New York to Philadelphia in 1791. To respond to Hamilton's arguments, political rival Thomas Jefferson founded the Gazette of the United States in 1791, with Philip Freneau as editor. After Jefferson became President, Hamilton joined Jay and other Federalists to found The New York Evening Post in 1801, edited by William Coleman. Magazines were also popular, often centered on a theme or directed to a particular audience. Some were intellectual or literary magazines; while others functioned largely to show fashions of dress and lifestyle, drawn from European styles. There was even a Children's Magazine in Hartford, Connecticut. Americans communicated with other individuals through correspondence. In 1800, there were about 1,000 post offices in the United States. Many of these letters give modern historians a clearer picture of what life was like for Americans in the young nation. Some messages that needed to be rushed were sent by personal messengers. These messengers would ride on horseback, and waited for the responses to the messages.