The Penny Press was published in 1833 by Benjamin H. Day, when he launched his first successful penny newspaper, called the New York Sun. Penny papers were more affordable for poor families and individuals, whereas the cost for other newspapers was 6 cents and could only be afforded by the higher class. For this reason, the New York Sun reached 5,000 people within 6 months! By 1835, it reached 19,000 people, more than the other newspapers!
The simplicity of the form that the penny papers were written plus the affordability, contributed to the increase of american literacy. More people were able to get their hands on the news and read it. The language in the papers were easy enough for them to understand it. The more they read the news, the more they sharpened their skill in literacy.
The Penny Press was popular, not only because of the price, but because of the content. The content 
in these papers were easy to understand as well as intriguing. Penny papers included stories about murders, crimes, criminal courts, and divorce courts- everything a reader wants to read about.
People want to read about murders, divorce, and any other scandals, so because these affordable papers contained these type of stories, it intrigued more readers, high class or low class, and helped increase literacy for those who never read much before because of the price, as well as make the penny papers successful.
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