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ONTARIO'S FIRST NEWSPAPER

History is an artifact.

Review Questions

Vocabulary:
oracle, purveyor, forum, patriotism, purveyor, discretion, induce, disseminate, dearth, mandate, frontier, paraphernalia, cultivate, censured, statutes, ascribed, relegated, erratic.

1. Why did Simcoe believe "a printer is indispensably necessary"?

2. (a)How could a newspaper be a country's 'eyes, ears, and mouth'? (b) What does this tell you about a country that would expect this to occur?

3 What is meant by publishing only officially 'correct' material? How did Simcoe intend to insure this would occur?

4. Relatively little about local events and personalities was published. Why might an editor be nervous about featuring local news in the paper?

4. Why would the publication of 'American' news anger Simcoe and others in the colony?

5. Why would Simcoe believe that printing expertise was less important than loyalty to the government.

6. Printers regularly resigned or were dismissed because of conflicts over the content of the paper. What do you think caused the conflicts?

7. Explain: (a) "History is an artifact"; (b) disseminating political knowledge; (c) dearth of political intelligence; (d) eminence of station; (e) humanity shuddered and Nature revolted; (f) of trifling consequence; (g) feature official propaganda.

8. Much of the foreign news featured in the Gazette was more like history. Explain.

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