Benjamin Fairbanks
Benjamin Fairbanks was an 18th-century farmer and selectmen from
Fairbanks was charged with having a role in erecting the
When it appeared,
He posted bond and was scheduled for trial the following June at the Federal Circuit Court in Boston.[4][6][2] When the trial came, Fairbanks requested the legal aid of Ames. While Ames declined to serve as the defendant's attorney, he did appear as a character witness.[1] Fairbanks, facing the "powerful forces" arrayed against him, confessed on June 8.[7]
Fairbanks said that "it was not then known by me, nor perhaps by others concerned, how heinous an offense it was."[7][8] He then added that he was a patriotic citizen, and would attempt to live his life accordingly in the future.[7] Justice Samuel Chase sentenced Fairbanks to six hours in prison and a fine of five dollars, plus court costs, the lightest sentence ever given for any of the Sedition Act defendants.[1][8] When Thomas Jefferson became president, one of his first acts was to issue a general pardon for any person convicted under the Sedition Act.[9]
Personal life
He was a descendant of
He served one term as a selectman in 1785.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Slack 2015, p. 179.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-139-49002-3.
- ^ Slack 2015, p. 140.
- ^ a b c d Slack 2015, p. 138.
- ^ Slack 2015, p. 141.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-312-19437-6.
- ^ a b c Slack 2015, p. 178.
- ^ a b Belt, Gordon T. "Sedition Act of 1798 – a brief history of arrests, indictments, mistreatment & abuse" (PDF). First Amendment Center. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Slack 2015, p. 232.
- ^ Worthington, Erastus (1827). The history of Dedham: from the beginning of its settlement, in September 1635, to May 1827. Dutton and Wentworth. p. 79-81. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
Works cited
- Slack, Charles (2015). Liberty's First Crisis: Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 978-0802123428.