Andrew Bradford was born in 1686 and was the son of William Bradford, the pioneer printer of the middle colonies, and of Elizabeth Sowle, daughter of Andrew Sowle, a London printer and publisher. When seven years of age he went with his father to New York City where the latter had been appointed "printer to the Crown. "
Most of his education, Bradford doubtless obtained as he learned the printing trade in his father's shop.
Leaving New York City in 1712, Bradford still continued for some time a sort of partnership with his father after he had taken up his residence in Philadelphia, where in 1714, he issued from his own press The Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania. Later appointed the official "printer to the Province, " he became an importer of books published in England. Selling these in his shop, he exerted no mean influence upon the culture of Philadelphia.
On December 22, 1719, he began the American Weekly Mercury the first newspaper in Pennsylvania and the third in the United States. In 1721, he was bold enough to express the hope that the General Assembly might find "some effectual remedy to revive the dying credit of this province". For his criticism, brief as it was, he was summoned before the Provincial Council but suffered neither imprisonment nor fine, though he was warned not to publish in the future anything concerning the affairs of the government without the permission of the governor or secretary.
He did not escape, however, so easily a few years later when he published a series of essays about provincial matters a series started by Benjamin Franklin but continued by other authors. For printing these contributions, especially the one on the tendency of power to perpetuate itself, he was again summoned before the Council and later sent to prison. But he continued his newspaper without interruption.
Whatever may have been the official decision in the case, he found so much favor with his fellow citizens that he was shortly afterward elected a councilman of the city. In supporting his case he set forth those principles that later enabled Andrew Hamilton, in New York City, to free John Peter Zenger in the most famous case for press freedom in colonial days.
Benjamin Franklin has left a record of criticism of the American Mercury for its poor typographical appearance. But Isaiah Thomas asserts that the typography of the American Mercury was "equal to that of Franklin's Gazette. " Franklin and Bradford were not only competing publishers for many years in the newspaper field, but for a short time were competitors in the magazine field.
In January 1741, Bradford issued the first copy of the American Magazine. Three days later Franklin followed with a rival, the General Magazine. Neither magazine lasted longer than six months.
While Andrew Bradford led a less spectacular life than that of his father or that of his adopted son, he held official positions from both city and church. He was postmaster at Philadelphia during the decade 1728-38.
Elected a vestryman of Christ's Church in 1726, he was re-elected for eleven years and in all probability for other terms, though official confirmation is lacking.
Bradford's adopted son became the famous "patriot-printer" of the Revolution and his widow, Cornelia, was one of the first women to edit a newspaper in America.
Bradford derived considerable wealth from successful real estate investments in Philadelphia.
Bradford was twice married, first to a woman named Dorcas and next to Cornelia Smith of New York City, a relative of his father's second wife. He adopted William 3rd, a son of his brother, William 2nd.
