Who was William Cobbett? Today, if you were to mention the name "William Cobbett" to a group of people, most of them would have no idea who you were talking about. It is hard to believe that he was once the Federalists' most effective journalist and one of the most popular journalists of the late 1700s and early 1800s. He can also be described as the best writer of the period. In addition to being a journalist, Cobbett also worked as an author, pamphleteer, soldier, and farmer. There were many reasons why Cobbett was such a successful writer. He was very straightforward and didn't care who he upset. He spoke for those who had no voice and wrote from the perspective of his readers, not for them. He took many risks and always accepted the consequences of his actions. These are many important qualities that a good journalist should have and William Cobbett was probably the first journalist to have most of them. William Hazlitt, a writer in Cobbett's time, wrote an essay on Cobbett. Hazlitt said: “not only is he arguably the most powerful political writer of our day, but one of the best writers in the language. He speaks and thinks simple, broad and straightforward English. Like many other writers of that period, Cobbett wrote in plain language so that more people could read and understand his writings. He was an incredibly gifted writer who was able to influence many people with his work. William Cobbett had several other jobs before finally becoming a journalist. He was born on March 9, 1763 in Farnham, England. Because he lived in a rural community, he started out as a farmer. He had very little formal education. He learned to read and write from his fa... middle of paper... Bett managed to make several enemies and started many feuds. Even when the majority of Americans disagreed with his work, he continued to hold his views. Work Cited Ingrams, Richard. "My hero: William Cobbett." The Guardian. Theguardian, 8 March 2013. Web. 17 April 2014. Ivo, Fratello. “William Cobbett: An Everyman for All Seasons.” Cranmer. Bishop Cranmer, March 9, 2013. Web. April 17, 2014. McNeill, Lance. "William Cobbett." New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia. St. Thomas University, Spring, 2010. Web. April 17, 2014. Osborne, John W. "William Cobbett (British Journalist)." Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 December 2013. Web. 17 April 2014. Obborne, John W. William Cobbett. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1966. Print.Sloan, Wm David. The media in America. Northport: Vision Press, 2011. Print.