What was advertised in a revolutionary American newspaper 250 years ago today?
“He is persuaded that none of his Readers will think him unreasonable in adding a Shilling to the Price per Year.”
The first advertisement in the April 27, 1776, edition of the Providence Gazette featured news for subscribers. John Carter, the printer, informed them of an imminent price increase. His own expenses had gone up in the year since the war began at Lexington and Concord. “THE increased Price of Paper (the chief Article of a Printer’s Stock) and of almost every Necessary of Life, has been so great,” he explained, “that it must have naturally fallen within the Notice of every Reader of this Gazette.” Given the circumstances that Carter believed honest readers acknowledged, he was “thereforecompelled to acquaint his Customers, that the Price thereof in future will be Eight Shillings per Annum.”
He emphasized that the situation “compelled” him to take this action rather than doing so willingly or eagerly. Carter also noted that other printers had recently done the same, so he was not alone in seeking such a remedy to his financial woes. “He likewise begs leave to inform [subscribers],” the printer stated, “that for the same Reason the Price of the Cambridge Paper,” the New-England Chronicle, “has been raised to Eight Shillings” and “the Philadelphia Evening-Post to Two Dollars.” (Carter meant the Pennsylvania Evening Post.) In addition, John Dunlap had recently advertised a price increase from ten to fifteen shillings for Dunlap’s Maryland Gazette; or, the Baltimore General Advertiser. In consideration of those recent precedents, Carter was “persuaded that none of his Readers will think him unreasonable in adding a Shilling to the Price per Year, which is not quite a Farthing on each Gazette” or each issue of the newspaper.[1]
The printer pledged to honor the previous price for current subscribers “till the Year, or other Time for which each Subscriber contracted, shall be expired.” Once their current year (or other amount of time previously agreed between printer and subscriber) came to an end, the new price went into effect. Those who did not wish to continue their subscriptions “at the Price above mentioned, … are requested to give Notice to the Printer.” Carter understood that money was also tight for his subscribers, but he hoped that they would accept a small increase in the annual subscription fee in order to continue receiving the news (about the war, politics, and other matters), editorials, advertisements, and other content he published and disseminated each week.
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[1] A farthing was worth one-quarter of a penny. Carter published the Providence Gazette weekly. An additional farthing for fifty-two issues amounted to thirteen pence … or one shilling and one penny. Carter raised the price by only one shilling, so indeed “not quite a Farthing” for each issue.