the abolitionist & women's suffrage press

In this chapter, two social movements and their presses are discussed--abolotionism and women's suffrage.

The Abolitionist Press

Effects of technology: The invention of machine-made paper and more durable iron presses made it much easier for a journal to be produced and to reach a far wider swath of the population.

During the abolitionist movement, it can be said that both a "white abolitionist press" and "black press" emerged, but they did not emerge independently of one another. Rather, it was a syngergistic, action, re-action kind of relationship that developed. There were several significant papers during this era:

1) Benjamin Lundy's The Genuis of Universal Emancipation (1820's)

A Quaker who carried his printing tools with him as he traveled around the country, involving himself at the grassroots level wherever he went.

2) Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm's Freedom's Journal (circa 1827)

Started in Boston by two free-born African Americans, this journal had an impressive distribution network throughout many major U.S. cities (predominantly northern), and even spread to other countries. Was against the American Colonization Society (ACS) which proposed sending American blacks to occupy the newly established colony of Liberia. Length of publication...2 years.

3) David Walker's Walker's Appeal (circa 1830)

Previously involved with Freedoms' Journal, Walker appealed to both the South and the North, was an advocate of armed rebellion, and wrote of the importance of education (including literacy) to heed change. Wanted to use his journal to connect the distribution networks of the North with clandestine groups in the South to further his appeals. When the effects of such actions were discovered (in the South), it often resulted in violence and a backlash against the black population.

4) William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator (circa 1830 - 1865)

White abolitionist who whole-heartedly embraced the movement and viewed slavery as a sin. His journal recieved more support (subscription, advertising, fundraising, etc.) from blacks than whites. Unlike Walker, Garrison was a pacifist. Would reprint editorials from pro-slavery papers as a technique to engage in debate.

5) Fredrick Douglass's The North Star (circa 1847)

Ex-slave who fled to England for a while. Upon his return, he began his own journal, despite the objections of Garrison (reasons? competition...) Douglass wanted to create a high-quality black abolitionist paper. Abandoned pacifism with Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which put him at even more odds with Garrison. Douglass's position seemed to carry the day, however, as the country approached the Civil War. Had more white subscribers than black (peak of 3,000 total subscribers).

The Woman Suffrage Press

Important point: Women played essential roles in the abolitionist movement, gaining a political/social voice whose outgrowth contributed significantly to the women's suffrage movement.

The idea of feminism did not yet exist, which means the concepts and ideas associated with it did not yet exist either. Thus, the movement did not yet have the language to define itself. The constraints at the time were such that women lacked both a public voice and a private community. Suffrage gradually emerged as the concrete goal for the movement.

Tension emerged in the movement between those who believed that black suffrage should come first, then to be followed by women's suffrage, and those who believed that suffrage should apply to all adult citizens, regardless of race or gender.

1) Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis's Una (circa 1853)

Created as an alternative to the 'ladies journals' of the day, Una, while keeping the standard format of those journals, also published articles dealing with women's rights. Folded after 2 years.

2) Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony's Revolution (circa 1869)

In a controversial move, Stanton and Anthony endorsed the help of a racist Democrat (George Francis Train) to get the paper started. Revolution was a raw, hard-core, unrelentingly feminist paper that even on occasion expressed racist views. Very influential for the feminist cause and "consciousness-raising". Roughly 3,000 subscribers at its peak. Folded soon after the appearance of the Women's Journal.

3) AWSA's Women's Journal (circa 1870)

The alter-ego to the Revolution, created by the American Women Suffrage Association (AWSA).
More focused than the Revolution, specifically on women's suffrage. Became widely distributed and the longest-running women's suffrage paper ( nearly 5 decades).

The market soon became saturated, with an estimated 33 women's suffrage papers emerging in the decades after 1870. However, women's suffrage made little progress during that time.

4) Women's Column (circa 1890)

Even more conservative than Women's Journal, it functioned as a kind of woman suffrage news service, providing material about women's suffrage for the mainstream press. Very large distribution.

Note: After women's suffrage was achieved in 1920, the journals/press that dealt with this issue dissappeared.