Beginnings
“We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the publick been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly….” (Freedom’s Journal, March 16, 1827).
From the first newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, Black periodicals focused on creating a venue where Black Americans could speak to and for themselves. Editors believed firmly in an independent press, and they argued that the public needed to hear from Black Americans in their own words and in venues that they themselves produced. Their papers served as sites of education, communication, organizing, and, very often, raucous debate. In this way, nineteenth-century Black periodicals showcased the breadth and depth of Black interests, cultures, and creativity across the United States. From New York to California, wherever a critical mass of Black people gathered, some enterprising person started a paper. The number of Black newspapers exploded across the South almost as soon as the Civil War ended.
Freedom’s Journal, 1827-1829. New York, NY.
“Righteousness Exalteth a Nation.” Freedom’s Journal, the first Black-edited newspaper published in the United States, covered a range of issues, from anti-slavery movements and history to education and uplift to poetry and fiction. The paper was founded in New York City in 1827 by a collective of Black activists for “the dissemination of useful knowledge among our brethren,” with Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm as editors. Freedom’s Journal routinely published poetry and fiction by Black writers, including “Theresa: A Haytien Tale,” the first known short story published by a Black writer.
Frederick Douglass’ Paper, 1851-1860. Rochester, NY: October 20, 1854.
“All Rights for All.” In 1851, Frederick Douglass merged his North Star with the Liberty Paper, with the support of wealthy white activist Gerrit Smith. Frederick Douglass’ Paper became a key forum for Black thought. By the mid-1850s, Douglass’s sons (Lewis and Frederick, Jr.) and daughter (Rosetta) would all have a hand in producing the paper.
Frederick Douglass’ Paper. Rochester, NY: November 4, 1853.
This front page features a review of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) and an account of a fugitive slave case in Cincinnati, OH, in which Lewis, the alleged fugitive, “escaped through an open window, thus indefinitely postponing the case.”
Frederick Douglass’ Paper. Rochester, NY: February 9, 1855.
Circular for Frederick Douglass’ Paper. Rochester: January 1853.
Broadside advertising Frederick Douglass’ Paper. “In a word, my columns shall be devoted to a defense of all the just rights of the human family, male and female, black and white, and without respect to country, nation or tongue.”
Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Pamphlet Collection.
Douglass’ Monthly, 1859-1863. Rochester, NY: July 1862.
“…Open Thy Mouth, Judge Righteously, and Plead the Cause of the Poor and Needy.” Douglass created Douglass’s Monthly in 1859 as a supplement to Frederick Douglass’ Paper. During the Civil War, Douglass used it to publish his expansive thoughts on the war and the nation’s future. Cornell’s copies of the July and August 1862 issues were owned by William C. Nell and bear his signature.
William C. Nell’s signed copy of Douglass’ Monthly. August 1862. Uncut state.
Newspapers and other documents were printed by the sheet and folded to create at least two pages on each side of a sheet (more folds = more pages). Sheets were folded and cut (as needed) later in the process or after purchase to make turnable pages.
The Pine and Palm, 1861-1852. Boston, MA: July 31, 1862.
In 1861, Scottish-born journalist and activist James Redpath bought Thomas Hamilton’s Weekly Anglo-African on behalf of the Haitian government. In May 1861, he renamed the paper The Pine and Palm and rebranded it as the official organ of Black American emigration to Haiti. The paper underwent several format changes during its short run.
The Pine and Palm. Boston, MA: June 19, 1862. Signed by William C. Nell.
The Pine and Palm. Boston, MA: July 24, 1862. Uncut sheet.
Newspapers and other documents were printed by the sheet and folded to create at least two pages on each side of a sheet (more folds = more pages). Sheets were folded and cut (as needed) later in the process or after purchase to make turnable pages.