| Benjamin Franklin Bache (journalist) |
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As a young boy, Bache spent time in Europe with his grandfather, notably attending school with John Adams ' son and future president John Quincy Adams in Passy. He was said to be a good student, even winning the school prize for translating Latin into French at Geneva, a school in France . Due to his grandfather's habits of being away without visiting for long periods of time, Benny was described as a depressed and shy adolesecent, although sensible and reasonable, often came across as cold and lacking fantasies or needs. Upon returning to Philadelphia, Benny was ushered into work as a printer at his grandfathers old shop, precursuring his future career as a newspaper editor. He took lessons for a time under Francois Didot , a well acknowledged and respected printer. Following his grandfather's death in 1790 , Benny inherited his printing equpiment and many of his books. He followed in his grandfather's steps by establishing, seventy years after the New England Courant was first published, his openly Jeffersonian newspaper, ''The American Aurora''. The paper was notoriously passionate, even surpassing grandfather Benjamin Franklin 's fierce pro-French and democratic stances. Bache's articles denounced Federalists . The papers openly discredited both George Washington and John Adams . Among Bache's more controversial statements was the suggestion that President George Washington had secretly been collaborating with the British during the American Revolution . Bache was subsequently arrested after the passage of the Alien And Sedition Act , an act supported by then-President Adams. This act may have been written, at least in part, as a response to Bache's irresponsible (albeit Constitutionally protected) statements. Bache died from Yellow Fever at the age of 29 before he could stand trial. He is regarded by many Americans as an early champion of the Freedom Of Speech and the First Amendment . |
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