Nathan Hale (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Nathan Hale was an American
journalist
and newspaper publisher who introduced regular editorial
comment as a newspaper feature.
, Hale graduated from Williams College
in 1804, and then was a tutor for two years at Phillips Exeter Academy
. He moved to Boston
, where he was admitted to the bar in 1810, and practiced law for four years. He began to co-edit The Weekly Messenger in 1813 and founded the Boston Daily Advertiser
that same year, serving as editor and publisher until his death in 1863. Hale was one of the founders of the North American Review
in 1815 and the Christian Examiner
in 1823. In 1842 he was the founding editor of the short-lived The Boston Miscellany
. Hale was active in promoting industrial improvement, especially the Boston and Albany Railroad
and diverting the Lake Cochituate
for potable water in the Back Bay, the Neck and the South Cove.
His alliance to the Federalist Party
continued until its dissolution, after which Hale sided with the Whig Party
and eventually the Republican Party
. He opposed the Missouri Compromise
and Kansas-Nebraska Bill. Hale served in the Massachusetts State Legislature.
Hale was an active member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, and also of the Massachusetts Historical Society
.
in 1825, and a series of stereotype maps on a plan of his own invention in 1830, being the first maps with names printed in page with type made by the founders. He also published Journal of Debates and Proceedings in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention (Boston, 1821), and numerous pamphlets on the practicability of railroads, on canals, and other topics.
) in 1816. Their children included Sarah Everett Hale, Nathan Hale, Jr. (12 November 1818 in Boston - 9 January 1871), Lucretia Peabody Hale
, Edward Everett Hale
, Charles Hale
, Alexander Hale, and Susan Hale
. Nathan, Sr., was also the nephew of executed spy Nathan Hale
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and newspaper publisher who introduced regular editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
comment as a newspaper feature.
Life and career
Born in Westhampton, MassachusettsWesthampton, Massachusetts
Westhampton is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,607 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Hale graduated from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in 1804, and then was a tutor for two years at Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
. He moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he was admitted to the bar in 1810, and practiced law for four years. He began to co-edit The Weekly Messenger in 1813 and founded the Boston Daily Advertiser
Boston Daily Advertiser
The Boston Daily Advertiser was the first daily newspaper in Boston, and for many years the only daily paper in Boston.-History:...
that same year, serving as editor and publisher until his death in 1863. Hale was one of the founders of the North American Review
North American Review
The North American Review was the first literary magazine in the United States. Founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others, it was published continuously until 1940, when publication was suspended due to J. H. Smyth, who had purchased the magazine, being unmasked as a Japanese...
in 1815 and the Christian Examiner
Christian Examiner
The Christian Examiner is a Christian newspaper. The Christian Examiner is a monthly publication serving Southern California, Minnesota and Washington state. The newspapers report on regional, national and international news and events from a Christian perspective...
in 1823. In 1842 he was the founding editor of the short-lived The Boston Miscellany
The Boston Miscellany
The Boston Miscellany of Literature and Fashion was a monthly literary and fashion magazine published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1842 and 1843....
. Hale was active in promoting industrial improvement, especially the Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
and diverting the Lake Cochituate
Lake Cochituate
Lake Cochituate is a body of water in Natick, Wayland, and Framingham, Massachusetts. Originally a reservoir serving Boston, it no longer serves that function, and is now a local recreational resource and home to Cochituate State Park.-Description:...
for potable water in the Back Bay, the Neck and the South Cove.
His alliance to the Federalist Party
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
continued until its dissolution, after which Hale sided with the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and eventually the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He opposed the Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30'...
and Kansas-Nebraska Bill. Hale served in the Massachusetts State Legislature.
Hale was an active member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, and also of the Massachusetts Historical Society
Massachusetts Historical Society
The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history...
.
Publications
He published a map of New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1825, and a series of stereotype maps on a plan of his own invention in 1830, being the first maps with names printed in page with type made by the founders. He also published Journal of Debates and Proceedings in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention (Boston, 1821), and numerous pamphlets on the practicability of railroads, on canals, and other topics.
Family
He married Sarah Preston Everett (sister of Edward EverettEdward Everett
Edward Everett was an American politician and educator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State...
) in 1816. Their children included Sarah Everett Hale, Nathan Hale, Jr. (12 November 1818 in Boston - 9 January 1871), Lucretia Peabody Hale
Lucretia Peabody Hale
Lucretia Peabody Hale was a United States journalist and author.-Biography:Hale was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and educated at George B. Emerson's school there...
, Edward Everett Hale
Edward Everett Hale
Edward Everett Hale was an American author, historian and Unitarian clergyman. He was a child prodigy who exhibited extraordinary literary skills and at age thirteen was enrolled at Harvard University where he graduated second in his class...
, Charles Hale
Charles Hale
Charles Hale of Boston was a legislator in the Massachusetts state House and Senate intermittently between 1855 and 1877. He was house speaker in 1859. In the 1860s he lived in Cairo, Egypt, as the American consul-general...
, Alexander Hale, and Susan Hale
Susan Hale
Susan Hale was an American author, traveler and artist.-Biography:She was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Nathan Hale and Sarah Preston Everett who had a total of eleven children...
. Nathan, Sr., was also the nephew of executed spy Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British...
.