1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: a show that flips through the pages of history to 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: deliver old news in a new way. I'm Gabe Lousier 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: and today we're talking about the life and times of 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,639 Speaker 1: Anne Franklin, a colonial newspaper editor who proved that a 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: woman can run a business just as well as a man, 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: if not better. The day was August seventeen sixty two. 9 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: At the age of sixty five and Smith Franklin became 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: the sole editor and publisher of the Newport Mercury newspaper. 11 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: The new role made her the country's first female newspaper editor. 12 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: It was a notable achievement, but one tinged with sadness, 13 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: as it had only been made possible by the premature 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: deaths of her husband and son. In early America, inheriting 15 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: an occupation or title from a male relative was one 16 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: of the few ways that a woman could excel in 17 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: male dominated fields like business or politics. However, once given 18 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: the chance, Anne Franklin proved the absurdity of such restrictions. 19 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: With her newfound independence and authority, she was able to 20 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: grow the Rhode Island business into something bigger and better 21 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: than it had ever been before. Ann Smith was born 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: in Boston, Massachusetts, on October two, sixteen nine. Little is 23 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: known about her early life, except that she was well 24 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: educated and brought up in the Puritan religion. When she 25 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: was twenty six years old, she married James Franklin, an 26 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: author and printer as well as the older brother of 27 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: Benjamin Franklin. Using a printing press he had imported from England, 28 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: James established The New England Corinth, one of the oldest 29 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: and the first truly independent American newspapers. His wife Anne 30 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: and brother Benjamin worked side by side with him on 31 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: the paper, which quickly developed a reputation for its anti 32 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: Puritan views. These allegedly wicked articles often got James into trouble, 33 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,519 Speaker 1: including one time in seventeen twenty two when he was 34 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: jailed for libel for a full month. A year later, 35 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: the Boston General Assembly banned the publication of The Corinth 36 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: unless its contents were reviewed and approved prior to its publication. 37 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: James ignored the attempt at censorship and kept right on 38 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: printing his incendiary opinions. However, the public calls for censorship 39 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: proved unrelenting. So in seventeen twenty seven, James and Anne 40 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: packed up their printing press and moved to the more 41 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: open minded town of Newport, Rhode Island. Once settled, the 42 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: couple established the colony's very first print shop also started 43 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: a family together. They had five children while living in Newport, 44 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: only three of whom lived to adulthood. A few years later, 45 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: on September seventeen thirty two, James and Anne launched Rhode 46 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: Island's very first newspaper, the Rhode Island Gazette. While James 47 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: handled much of the writing and helped out by setting type, 48 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,119 Speaker 1: running the press, and selling their newspapers and other printed materials, 49 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: The paper wound up folding after less than one year, 50 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: but the print shop continued to operate. One of the 51 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: Franklin's most successful publications was the Rhode Island Almanac, which 52 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: was compiled mostly by James and published under the pseudonym 53 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: Poor Robin. Almanacs were quite popular at the time, providing 54 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: readers with all sorts of useful information, including weather forecasts, 55 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: tide tables, and planting schedules for farmers. The Franklin's business 56 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: remained modest, but continued to turn a profit for several years. Sadly, 57 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: in seventeen thirty five, James Franklin passed away after a 58 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: long illness. He was only thirty eight years old. After 59 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: his passing, Anne took full control of the printing business, 60 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: though she had a tough time earning enough money to 61 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,239 Speaker 1: support her children. A year later, she asked the Rhode 62 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: Island General Assembly to grant her a contract as the 63 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: official printer of the colony. Her heart felt plea read 64 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: as follows, your petitioner, being left with several small children, 65 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: which is a great charge to her, and having not 66 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: sufficient business at the printing trade, humbly praise your honors 67 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: will grant her the favor to print acts of the 68 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: Colony and what other things shall be lawful and necessary 69 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: to be printed in order for your petitioners support and 70 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: maintenance of her family, she having no other way to 71 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: support herself. The request was granted and Anne got the 72 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: job as official printer of the colony, a position and 73 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: she would hold until her death. Operating under the imprint 74 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: of the widow Franklin, and printed all sorts of official documents, 75 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: including election ballots, legal forms, paper currency, and copies of 76 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: the colony's charter. She also accepted private orders, printing everything 77 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: from religious sermons and advertisements to popular British novels. In 78 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: seventeen thirty eight, she began writing and printing new editions 79 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: of the Rhode Island Almanac, becoming the first woman to 80 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: do so. A few years later, she retired the series 81 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: and began selling her brother in law's more famous Poor 82 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: Richard's Almanac instead. In the seventeen forties, and son James Jr. 83 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: Traveled to Philadelphia, where he worked as an apprentice in 84 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: his uncle Benjamin's print shop. Meanwhile, and others surviving children, 85 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: daughters Mary and Elizabeth, trained under their mother as type setters. 86 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: James Jr. Returned to Newport in seven teen forty eight, 87 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: at which point the family business was renamed to the 88 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: Anne and James Franklin Print Shop. The business flourished with 89 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: the mother's son duo at the helm, and by seventeen 90 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: fifty eight, the Franklins were doing well enough to start 91 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: up a new weekly newspaper, the Newport Mercury. James Junior 92 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: served as the paper's editor and publisher, while Anne, who 93 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: was semi retired at that point, contributed copy. She was 94 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: ready to step away entirely satisfied that her children were 95 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: more than capable of carrying on the family business, but 96 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: fate had other plans. In the early seventeen sixties, Anne 97 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: lost all three of her surviving children in quick succession. 98 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,559 Speaker 1: When James Junior died in the summer of seventeen sixty two, 99 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: she faced a heartrending choice. She could either push through 100 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: her grief and poor health and return to the printing 101 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: press herself, or she could settle into retirement and let 102 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: her and her son's paper die with him. In the end, 103 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,679 Speaker 1: Anne chose the former, and the Newport Mercury didn't miss 104 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: a single issue. She officially assumed the role of editor 105 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: and publisher on August seventeen sixty two, marking what's believed 106 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: to be the first time a woman ran a newspaper 107 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: in the United States. Due to her failing health, Anne 108 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: took on a partner, Samuel Hall, in late seventeen sixty two. 109 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: She passed away on April sixteenth of the following year, 110 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: at which point Hall took over as publisher. Anne's obituary 111 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: was published in The Mercury, where she was described as 112 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: a woman of great quote economy and industry who supported 113 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: herself and her family, and brought up her children in 114 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: a genteel manner. Although the language used as a little stuffy, 115 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: the obituary rightly draws attention to Anne's role as a 116 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: single mother, because it's well worth remembering that while she 117 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: was breaking boundaries as one of the country's first female entrepreneurs, 118 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,119 Speaker 1: she was also single handedly raising three children. She also 119 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: seems to have balanced those responsibilities remarkably well. As a businesswoman, 120 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: she maintained steady lucrative contracts for decades, and as a publisher, 121 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: she provided a community service disseminating vital news and information 122 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: throughout the colony that publication, the Newport Mercury, endured for 123 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: more than two centuries after her death. It changed forms 124 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: several times over the years, but ultimately ceased publication entirely 125 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: in August of twenty nine. The cancelation marked the end 126 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: of one of the oldest operating newspapers in the country, 127 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: and the first who have been run by a woman. 128 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: It's worth noting, though, that Anne Smith Franklin didn't set 129 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: out to build a legacy. She was just trying to 130 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: provide a living for her family. She wound up doing both, though, 131 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: because while the paper she co founded. Maybe gone. Her 132 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: contributions to journalism and to American society are a lie. 133 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: Even well, the proof is all the women's names you'll 134 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: find in your favorite magazines, books, and news sites. Thanks 135 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: to trailblazers like Anne Franklin, those jobs were open to them, 136 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: no dead loved ones required. Now that's progress. I'm Gaye 137 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: Bluesier and hopefully you now know a little more about 138 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. You can learn even 139 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: more about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and 140 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: Instagram at t d i HC Show, and if you 141 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: have any comments or suggestions, you can send them directly 142 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: to me at this Day at iHeart media dot com. 143 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, and thank 144 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 145 00:09:46,480 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: for another day in History class.