Colonial Advocate, Upper Canada (Ontario), William Lyon Mackenzie, 1824
The front page of the first issue of the Colonial Advocate, printed by William Lyon Mackenzie. Dated May 18, 1824. Source: Canadian Book of Printing, How Printing Came to Canada and the Story of the Graphic Arts, Told Mainly in Pictures, Toronto Public Library, 1940, p51.
Portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie. Source: Canadian Book of Printing, How Printing Came to Canada and the Story of the Graphic Arts, Told Mainly in Pictures, Toronto Public Library, 1940, p50.
Notes
Scottish-born William Lyon Mackenzie established the Colonial Advocate in 1824 in Queenston, Upper Canada. Through his journal, he became a fierce and effective critic of the ruling oligarchy known as the Family Compact. In November of 1824, he moved to York (now Toronto), where in 1826 his newspaper was sabotaged by his political opponents: his printing office was attacked, his type was dumped in the lake, the printing press destroyed, and his family was harassed. Mackenzie sued the rioters, and with the money awarded for damages he paid off his creditors and restarted production of his newspaper.
In 1828 he was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada, and after York was renamed Toronto in 1834, Mackenzie was elected its first mayor. He continued to criticize the government, eventually leading the 1837 Rebellion to bring about more democratic control of the government. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he fled to Buffalo. Mackenzie was pardoned in 1849 and allowed to return to Canada.
References:
Raible, Chris. A Colonial Advocate: The Launching of His Newspaper and the Queenston Career of William Lyon Mackenzie. James Lorimer & Company Ltd, 2007.
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Category
Early Printing and TypeTitle
Colonial Advocate, Upper Canada (Ontario), William Lyon Mackenzie, 1824Date
1824Credits
Printers: William Lyon Mackenzie (1795–1861)Principal Typefaces
unknownDescription
Newspaper
Size: unknownRegion
OntarioLanguage
EnglishImages
1Holding
Unknown -
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