Freedom’s Journal
On March 16, 1827 Samuel E. Cornish (1795-1858) and John Brown Russwurm (1799-1851), both well-educated clergymen, began to edit and publish Freedom’s Journal in New York City. Cornish was born in Sussex county, Delaware and attended the Philadelphia Presbytery. As a youth Russwurm was educated in Canada, and became the first black man to receive a degree from Bowdoin College. The partnership dissolved when Russwurm joined the American Colonization Society in their effort to establish a black colony in Liberia. The paper ceased operations with the March 28, 1829 issue.
Although Freedom’s Journal lived a relatively short life, it is important in that it was the first American newspaper written by blacks for blacks. From the beginning the editors felt, “… that a paper devoted to the dissemination of useful knowledge among our brethren, and to their moral and religious improvement, must meet with the cordial approbation of every friend to humanity…“.
Request a Free Trial for your Organization
The Browse and/or Search links below are for visitors on networks with institutional access to this collection. Individuals with personal subscriptions must login at accessible.com to access the Browse and Search features.
Notes
- Freedom’s Journal, New York, New York – This title is complete. March 16, 1827–March 28, 1829
Blog Posts
- John Quincy Adams and the Winnebagoes
- The Danger of Drunkenness
- A Short History of Libraries
- Wives in Demand in 1828
- Freedom’s Journal News Summary for February 8, 1828
- The Case of Somersett from Freedom’s Journal
- New Slave Laws in Freedom’s Journal in 1827
- Pulpit Flattery and King George III
- Changes in Chinese Geographic Views in Freedom’s Journal
- We’d Like to Report a Sea Serpent…
- Sold by the Sheriff
