History of Political Opinion Columns

It started with a snake.

In 1754, Benjamin Franklin carved a message into the soul of American colonies with a single image: a segmented serpent labeled with the names of the scattered provinces. Beneath it lay three urgent words:

The Pennsylvania Gazette, 1754

Join, or Die.

Meant to rally unity during the French and Indian War, the cartoon would later resurface as a powerful symbol in the Revolutionary War, a potent early reminder that in the world of politics, journalism is just as powerful as any weapon. 

Long before political columns became a fixture in newspapers, journalism was a battleground for persuasion. The Colonial Press, often partisan and polemical, carried the spirit of resistance. 

The Gilder Lehrman Institute

The Sedition Act of 1798 as published in the
 "Columbian Centinel"

In our country’s earliest years, political writing was sharper, and riskier. In 1798, President John Adams signed the Sedition Act, criminalizing any criticism of the federal government. Journalists faced fines and imprisonment for simply doing their jobs. It was a move that exposed the uneasy line between free expression and governmental power– a tension that still exists today. 

When Thomas Jefferson repealed the Sedition Act, he did more than safeguard free speech; he reasserted that a democratic society demands an adversarial press.

Yet in the decades that followed, political writing largely remained the domain of openly partisan newspapers, not professional commentators. It wasn’t until the early 20th century, in the turbulence of the 1930s and the shadows of the Great Depression, that the political columns as we know it truly emerged. 

Wars, economic collapse, and social change that populated the 20th century demanded more than just headlines, readers wanted guidance. In response, newspapers began carving out dedicated spaces for opinion, now widely known as the “editorial page”, where commentary could be distinguished from hard-news reporting. 

It was here that the political columnists truly found a home: a regular voice readers could come to know, trust, argue with, and rely on. These columns were not just reflection of public sentiment; they were instruments of persuasion, rallying readers towards causes, warning of threats on the horizon, and offering meaning in times of uncertainty. 

For a growing audience, the political columnist became as essential to the daily paper as the front-page news itself. 

  Walter Lippman (1889-1972)

Walter Lippman was among the first to seize this opportunity. Sharp, analytical, and often philosophical, Lippman transformed political commentary into a serious professional craft. His columns, syndicated across the country, gave Americans a lens through which to view tumultuous events: war, economic collapse, the shifting tides of democracy. In a landscape saturated with breaking news, Lippman offered understanding– and sometimes, unsettling questions. 

Though, not all columnists came with Lippman’s measured tone. H.L. Mencken, the “Sage of Baltimore,” delighted in savaging politicians with biting humor and sardonic wit. His columns skewered the self-righteousness of American politics, offering a bracing counterbalance to the sanctimony of official narratives. 

Dorothy Thompson, meanwhile, made history as one of the first female political columnists to gain national fame, her fierce critiques of European fascism warning readers of dangers looming across the Atlantic. 

Syndication only amplified their influence. A single voice, once confined to a local paper, could now echo through hundreds of publications across the country, reaching millions. Readers from New York to Arizona could encounter the same sharp analysis– or stinging rebuke– on the front page of their local paper. The political columnist was no longer just a local gadfly; they were national figures, shaping public opinion at scale. 

As the 20th century unfolded, more people sought to express their opinions. Drew Pearson’s “Washington Merry-Go-Round” exposed political corruption with relentless tenacity. James Reston at the New York Times blended investigative journalism with sharp editorial insight. In each case, the columnist served not just as a commentator but as a kind of public conscience– willing, at their best, to tell uncomfortable truths. 

Today, the tradition Franklin unknowingly helped spark continues, though it has morphed with technology. Political opinion is no longer confined to a page in the newspaper: it floods blogs, websites, podcasts, and social media feeds. 

Dave Waymond. 

Political cartoon in the 21st century reflecting the polarization of our society

The democratization of political opinion has brought both benefits and challenges. On one hand, new voices have broken through the old barriers of debate, enriching the marketplace of ideas. On the other, the explosion of commentary and the introduction of AI algorithms have deepened echo chambers, turning what was once thoughtful persuasion into ideological trench warfare. 

Yet even in this noisy, fragmented era, the core impulse remains the same: to interpret, to persuade, to provoke thought and to hold those in power accountable. It’s presence throughout history reminds us that a free and interpretive press is not only a reflection of democracy– but a driving force within it.