Virginia Gazette(s)
Alexander Purdie’s strategy of printing the last few paragraphs first meant that the Declaration of Independence appears in three different issues of two Virginia Gazettes.
On July 19, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was printed in the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg. On July 20, the Declaration was printed in the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg. And on July 26, the Declaration was printed in the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg. Confused?
The Declaration of Independence was printed in two different newspapers with the same name. One was Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette and the other was a different Virginia Gazette, printed by Purdie’s former partner John Dixon and his new partner William Hunter, Jr. The Virginia government ordered that all proclamations should be printed in the Virginia Gazette. Generations of Virginia printers chose to call their newspapers the Virginia Gazette so that they could follow this order and have a name in their masthead that readers could trust.
Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette was still relatively new on the scene in the summer of 1776. Purdie and John Dixon were partners for years until William Hunter, Jr.—the son of a deceased Virginia Gazette printer—came of age in 1774. Purdie left the partnership with a plan to launch his own Virginia Gazette “immediately after Christmas,” or as soon as he had enough customers to support his solo venture. As he prepared to leave one Virginia Gazette to start another, he had a motto in mind: “ALWAYS FOR LIBERTY AND THE PUBLICK GOOD.”
Masthead of Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette, May 10, 1776, Library of Congress, Image Provided by Library of Virginia
Purdie’s new Virginia Gazette debuted on February 3, 1775 with his motto in the masthead below the coat of arms of the colony of Virginia. But on May 17, 1776, he left the royal coat of arms behind and created a new masthead design, cobbled together from different pieces of ornamental type and featuring the phrase “United, we stand—Divided, we fall.” A few weeks later, Purdie debuted a new heraldic engraving with a rattlesnake and the words “DON’T TREAD ON ME.” This masthead design also had a new message to readers that reflected the mix of hope and trepidation felt throughout the colonies in the summer of 1776: “High HEAVEN to gracious ends directs the STORM!”
Masthead of Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette, May 17, 1776, Library of Congress
Masthead of Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette, June 7, 1776, Library of Congress
Alexander Purdie published his newspaper on Fridays and Dixon and Hunter published theirs on Saturdays, which meant that Purdie was the first to print certain pieces of news, including the news of independence. On Friday, July 19, Purdie printed an “Abstract” of the Declaration of Independence, “which will be published at full length in next week’s Gazette.” It was a bold move to delay the publication of the full text, but Purdie’s newspaper was filled with other pieces of important news, including reports about Lord Dunmore, the colonial governor of Virginia whose ships were creating difficulties in the Chesapeake Bay. Purdie described the first part of the Declaration as “a recapitulation of injuries.” With the limited space he had, he prioritized the final paragraphs, from the description of King George III as a “TYRANT” who was “unfit to be the ruler of a FREE PEOPLE” through the delegates’ pledge of their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette, July 19, 1776, p. 2, Library of Congress
On Saturday, July 20, John Dixon and William Hunter, Jr. printed the full text of the Declaration of Independence in their Virginia Gazette. That same day, the Privy Council ordered the printers in Williamsburg to publish the Declaration of Independence in their respective Gazettes.
Alexander Purdie already had told his readers that he would print the full text in his next issue, on Friday, July 26. He included the council’s order at the top of the front page. Purdie was also able to include reports of different readings of the Declaration across the United States, culminating in a description of the public reading in Williamsburg on July 25. The Declaration was “solemnly proclaimed at the Capitol, the Courthouse, and the Palace, amidst the acclamations of the people, accompanied by firing of cannon and musketry.”
Alexander Purdie’s Virginia Gazette, July 26, 1776, p. 1, Library of Congress, Image Provided by Library of Virginia
John Dixon and William Hunter, Jr. had printed the Declaration before they knew about the council’s order, but they still had to print the order in their Virginia Gazette the following week. They added a nota bene to remind their readers that “the Declaration of Independence may be seen at full length in our gazette of the 20th instant.”
Alexander Purdie’s strategy of printing the last few paragraphs first meant that the Declaration of Independence appears in three different issues of two different Virginia Gazettes.
Where to See It Online: Library of Virginia, through the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers collection at the Library of Congress
