"In New York City, a gentleman complained in the 1750s 'how common it is to see a Shoemaker, Taylor, or Barber, haranguing with a great deal of Warmth on the public Affairs.' Though armed only with 'Knowledge from the News-Papers,' a tradesman would 'condemn a General, Governor, or Province with as much Assurance as if he were of the Privy council.'"
-- Citation from New York Post-Boy, Nov 8, 1756, The
Strength of a People: The Idea of an Informed Citizenry in America, 1650-1870, Richard D.
Brown, 1996, p. 51.
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