The ''Pennsylvania Packet and the General Advertiser'' was an American newspaper founded in 1771 that, in 1784, became the first successful daily newspaper published in the United States. The paper was founded by John Dunlap as a weekly paper in late 1771. It was based in Philadelphia except during the British occupation of the city in 1777–1778, when Dunlap published the paper at Lancaster. David C. Claypoole eventually became a partner with Dunlap. As of September 21, 1784, the paper was issued as the ''Pennsylvania Packet, and Daily Advertiser'', reflecting the paper's move to daily publication. The paper subsequently underwent additional name changes, dropping the ''Pennsylvania Packet'' prefix in 1791, and becoming ''Dunlap's American Daily Advertiser'' (1791–1793), ''Dunlap and Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser'' (1793–1795), and ''Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser'' (1796-1800). On September 21, 1796, it was the first to publish George Washington's Farewell Address. In 1800,

Zachariah Poulson Zachariah Poulson (17611844) was an American editor and publisher. Poulson was born in Philadelphia in 1761. In 1800, he purchased ''Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser'', the successor to America's first daily newspaper, the ''Pennsylvania Pa ...

purchased the paper and renamed it ''Poulson's American Daily Advertiser''. In 1825, the Marquis De Lafayette granted an interview to "Poulson's Advertiser" during his famous visit to the United States. Poulson ran the paper for almost 40 years, and at end of 1839 sold out to the owners of the recently founded '' North American''. The ''North American'' featured the 1771 founding of the ''Packet'' as its heritage. To the extent it can honestly be traced past this point, the final successor of the ''Packet'' can be said to be '' The Philadelphia Inquirer''.Watson, John Fanning
Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in Olden Time, Vol. 2
p. 34-35 (1844)Scharf, J. Thomas and Wescott, Thompson
History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Volume 3
p. 1966-68 (1884) Lee, Alfred McClung
The Daily Newspaper in America: The Evolution of a Social Instrument
p.169-70 (1937)

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Newspapers established in 1771 Defunct newspapers published in Pennsylvania Defunct newspapers of Philadelphia 1771 establishments in Pennsylvania Publications disestablished in 1840 1840 disestablishments in the United States Newspapers of colonial America {{Pennsylvania-newspaper-stub

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