Ann and James Franklin launched the Rhode-Island Gazette on September 27, 1732 — the colony's first newspaper — with Ann as assistant printer.
On September 27, 1732, Ann and James Franklin launched the Rhode-Island Gazette, the first newspaper published in the colony of Rhode Island. The couple had relocated to Newport some years earlier, where James established a print shop that served the colony's government and merchant community.
Ann worked alongside James as an assistant printer, learning the full range of skills required to run a print shop: setting type, operating the press, managing correspondence with subscribers and advertisers, and understanding the financial workings of a small colonial business. This hands-on experience proved invaluable, as it prepared her for the responsibilities she would soon have to shoulder alone.
The Rhode-Island Gazette was short-lived, ceasing publication on May 24, 1733, likely due to insufficient subscribers and advertising revenue in the small colony. Despite its brief run, the paper represented a significant milestone: it was Rhode Island's first attempt at a regular newspaper, predating the more successful Newport Mercury by over two decades.
For Ann, the Gazette was a crucial training ground. Her direct involvement in its production meant that when James died just a few years later, she was not a novice widow forced to abandon the family trade, but a capable printer ready to take over the business and continue serving Rhode Island's printing needs.