About America's First Advertisement
The advertisement promoted an estate sale in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York
An advertisement, commonly referred to as an ad, is a promotional message or announcement intended to persuade or inform an audience about a product, service, event, or idea.
The first and oldest known advertisement in America dates back to 1704 and was published in the Boston News-Letter, one of the first continuously published newspapers in the American colonies.
The advertisement promoted an estate sale that took place in the town of Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. The ad offered a variety of goods, including household items, livestock, and the land itself.
Massachusetts Historical Society acknowledges it as the first time a paid advertisement appeared in an American newspaper. CBC/Radio-Canada describes it as the first classified ad ever published in North America. Oyster Bay Historical Society defines it as the first American newspaper ad. University Of Mount Saint Vincent recognizes it as the first newspaper ad.
The advertisement read:
"At Oysterbay, on Long Island in the Province of N. York. There is a very good Fulling-Mill, to be Let or Sold, as also a Plantation, having on it a large new Brick house, and another good house by it for a Kitchen & workhouse, with a Barn, Stable a young Orchard and 20 acres clear land. The Mill is to be Let with or without the Plantation; Enquire of Mr. William Bradford Printer in N. York, and know further".
The advertisement was paid for by William Bradford. In 1704, the Fifth Session of the General Assembly passed an act to enable William Bradford to sell and dispose of the real estate of the late John Dewsbury for the payment of his debts.
The deceased owner of the property, John Dewsbury, had been in debt to William Bradford who was not only a printer in New York but also a merchant of the town of Oyster Bay.
Boston had not had a newspaper for 14 years when John Campbell, the postmaster, started the Boston News-Letter, on April 24, 1704. It was the first continuously published newspaper in British North America.
This early advertisement illustrates the growing importance of newspapers as a means of communication and commerce in the American colonies. It also reflects the economic activities and land transactions that were taking place in the region during the early 18th century.
As the earliest known advertisement in America, this 1704 advertisement holds historical significance as a precursor to the vibrant advertising industry that would emerge in the United States in the centuries to come.
This historic advertisement represents the beginnings of commercial advertising in the colonies and underscores the role of newspapers as vehicles for commerce and communication.
