The Massachusetts Spy, originally the Worcester Spy, was a newspaper published by Isaiah Thomas in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts in the 18th century. It was a heavily political weekly paper that was constantly on the verge of being suppressed by the Royalist government, from the time of its establishment in 1770 to 1776, during the runup to the American Revolution. In 1771-1773 the Spy featured the essays of several anonymous political commentators who called themselves "Centinel," "Mucius Scaevola" and "Leonidas." They spoke in the same terms about similar issues, kept Patriot polemics on the front page, and supported each other against attacks in progovernment papers. Rhetorical combat was a Patriot tactic that explained the issues of the day and fostered cohesiveness without advocating outright rebellion. The columnists spoke to the colonists as an independent people tied to Britain only by voluntary legal compact.
Thomas, Isaiah. “The Massachusetts Spy, May 3, 1775” (1975). Teach US History. Print. Newspaper Article. Accessed on 29, Jun 2020 at < http://www.teachushistory.org/node/333>
“The Massachusetts Spy or, American Oracle of Liberty, Worcester, Massachusetts.” Library of Congress. (July 2010). Print. Accessed on 29 Jun, 2020 at https://www.loc.gov/rr/news/circulars/spy.html.