When John died in November 1762, Richard continued printing and publishing the newspaper, whereupon he changed the title to The Boston Weekly News Letter and New England Chronicle.
After a year he changed the title to The Massachusetts Gazette; and Boston News-Letter, with the king's coat of arms in the center of the heading and served as the leading Tory newspaper.
[12][13] Early in his career he was appointed as the official printer for the provincial governor and council of Massachusetts, a position which he held until his final years.
[14] In 1768 Richard merged The Massachusetts Gazette with The Boston Post-Boy, which functioned as a Tory newspaper that gave voice to the British party line during the taxation controversies between the colonies and England.
Through his Gazette he gave voice to the various Loyalist and Tory writers in Massachusetts who defended the British Crown, Parliament, and the royal governor, all of whom wrote critical essays aimed at the Whigs and the idea of American independence.
[19][20] The Draper home Richard had built on Newbury Street was confiscated by patriot forces after the British had fled the city.
[8] Richard Draper was a man of ill health most of his life, but was considered, "...remarkable for the delicacy of his mind and gentleness of his manner" where it is said that, "No stain rests on his character.