John Wilkes Esq.r

John Wilkes was a British journalist and politician whose actions led to expanded liberties for the press in Britain. For Americans, he became a symbol of resistance against the crown. While in Parliament, he was imprisoned under a general warrant for libelous claims about politicians. General warrants allowed the government to arrest multiple people under the same warrant without naming specific offenders. Wilkes and 48 others were apprehended but soon released. The general warrants were later deemed an overreach of power and made illegal in 1763. Wilkes continued fighting to protect rights from government infringement.
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