The Morning Star (19th century U.S. newspaper)
Encyclopedia
The Morning Star was a weekly newspaper owned and published by Freewill Baptists in 19th century New England
, which campaigned vigorously for the abolition of slavery long before such a political stance was widely considered to be respectable in America.
on 11 May 1826. Seven years later the newspaper relocated to Dover, New Hampshire
, and it continued to be published in that town by Moses Cheney
from November 1833 until December 1874. Thereafter it was published in various cities including Portland
, Boston
, New York
and Chicago
, until its final issue rolled off the presses some time in 1911.
An early editor was John Buzzell
, who was also partly responsible for the foundation of the paper.
Until 1834 the newspaper concerned itself mainly with religion, and largely kept out of politics. When it commented on slavery
it took a conservative attitude, with editorials denouncing radical abolitionists and counselling "the exercise of moderation and charity".
On the death of the editor Samuel Beede in March 1834, however, control was passed to William Burr, who immediately re-launched The Morning Star as a newspaper that would campaign vigorously and tirelessly for the complete abolition of slavery. This was a remarkable position for an American publication to take at that time, especially in an overwhelmingly white town where the major employers were large cotton mill
s: Dover's prosperity depended to a great extent, indirectly, on slave labour in the South.
Burr's principled move plunged the newspaper rapidly into crisis. Publication had to be suspended for a while because the New Hampshire State Legislature refused to grant The Morning Star an Act of Incorporation on account of the paper's campaigning activities.
The abolitionist message did not go down well with readers. Sales plummeted, and the editor was denounced by delegates to the 1837 General Conference of Freewill Baptists, who put forward a motion calling for the paper to cease its campaign against slavery "so as to avert from the denomination the public odium heaped upon abolitionists, and to reconcile the disaffected members." The motion was defeated.
In 1841, in protest at the authorities' refusal to act to prevent attacks on black people and abolitionists in segregated railway carriages (including highly publicised incidents involving Charles Lenox Remond
and David Ruggles
) The Morning Star printed a call for readers to boycott the Eastern Railroad
- a remarkable step at that time.
As the public mood became more receptive to the abolitionist message, the circulation figures picked up. While continuing to fulfil its original function as official organ of the Free Will Baptist denomination, The Morning Star continued its vociferous anti-slavery campaign right up to the end of the Civil War
, condemning the iniquities of slavery with eloquent and rousing rhetoric.
As an example, when Oren B. Cheney
took over as editor in October 1853, he announced his arrival with a thunderous anti-slavery editorial:
Possibly owing at least partly to the Stars influence, Dover was the first town in New Hampshire to send strongly abolitionist representatives to the State Legislature, and one of the first in the U.S. to send an openly abolitionist Senator to Washington, in the person of John Parker Hale.
When, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln
visited Dover to canvass support in the presidential elections of that year, editor William Burr was among those invited to join him on the speaker's platform.
Later editors of the Star included George T. Day and George H. Ball.
The Bates College
Special Collections library contains a complete collection of original bound editions of The Morning Star.
This Morning Star has no connection with The Morning Star that was published in London at around the same time, nor with the paper of the same name that is published daily in Britain - that publication was founded in 1930 as The Daily Worker, and only changed its name to The Morning Star
in 1966.
New 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...
, which campaigned vigorously for the abolition of slavery long before such a political stance was widely considered to be respectable in America.
History
The first issue was published in Limerick, MaineLimerick, Maine
Limerick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,240 at the 2000 census.-History:...
on 11 May 1826. Seven years later the newspaper relocated to Dover, New Hampshire
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
, and it continued to be published in that town by Moses Cheney
Moses Cheney
Moses Cheney was an abolitionist, printer and legislator from New Hampshire.Cheney was born in 1793 in Thornton, New Hampshire. Cheney entered the paper printing business in Holderness . On June 23, 1816 he married Abigail Cheney...
from November 1833 until December 1874. Thereafter it was published in various cities including Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, 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...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, until its final issue rolled off the presses some time in 1911.
An early editor was John Buzzell
John Buzzell
John Buzzell was an early proponent of the Free Will Baptist Church, a Christian author, and a preacher.John Buzzell was born in Barrington, New Hampshire in 1766. After befriending Benjamin Randall, Buzzell became a Free Will Baptist and was ordained a minister in 1792. He preached extensively...
, who was also partly responsible for the foundation of the paper.
Until 1834 the newspaper concerned itself mainly with religion, and largely kept out of politics. When it commented on slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
it took a conservative attitude, with editorials denouncing radical abolitionists and counselling "the exercise of moderation and charity".
On the death of the editor Samuel Beede in March 1834, however, control was passed to William Burr, who immediately re-launched The Morning Star as a newspaper that would campaign vigorously and tirelessly for the complete abolition of slavery. This was a remarkable position for an American publication to take at that time, especially in an overwhelmingly white town where the major employers were large cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s: Dover's prosperity depended to a great extent, indirectly, on slave labour in the South.
Burr's principled move plunged the newspaper rapidly into crisis. Publication had to be suspended for a while because the New Hampshire State Legislature refused to grant The Morning Star an Act of Incorporation on account of the paper's campaigning activities.
The abolitionist message did not go down well with readers. Sales plummeted, and the editor was denounced by delegates to the 1837 General Conference of Freewill Baptists, who put forward a motion calling for the paper to cease its campaign against slavery "so as to avert from the denomination the public odium heaped upon abolitionists, and to reconcile the disaffected members." The motion was defeated.
In 1841, in protest at the authorities' refusal to act to prevent attacks on black people and abolitionists in segregated railway carriages (including highly publicised incidents involving Charles Lenox Remond
Charles Lenox Remond
Charles Lenox Remond was an American orator, abolitionist and military organizer during the American Civil War...
and David Ruggles
David Ruggles
David Ruggles was an anti-slavery activist who was active in the New York Committee of Vigilance and the Underground Railroad. He was an "African-American printer in New York City during the 1830s", who "was the prototype for black activist journalists of his time"...
) The Morning Star printed a call for readers to boycott the Eastern Railroad
Eastern Railroad (Massachusetts)
The Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
- a remarkable step at that time.
As the public mood became more receptive to the abolitionist message, the circulation figures picked up. While continuing to fulfil its original function as official organ of the Free Will Baptist denomination, The Morning Star continued its vociferous anti-slavery campaign right up to the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, condemning the iniquities of slavery with eloquent and rousing rhetoric.
As an example, when Oren B. Cheney
Oren B. Cheney
Oren Burbank Cheney was the founder of Bates College, an abolitionist, and a Free Will Baptist clergyman.-Early life:...
took over as editor in October 1853, he announced his arrival with a thunderous anti-slavery editorial:
- "We shall speak against slavery, as we have hitherto done. We can find no language that has power to express the hatred we have towards so vile and so wicked an institution. We hate it. We abhor it. We loathe it. We detest and despise it as a giant sin against God, and an awful crime upon man. Thus we feel ourself, and thus we teach our children to feel, and dying we will teach them so."
Possibly owing at least partly to the Stars influence, Dover was the first town in New Hampshire to send strongly abolitionist representatives to the State Legislature, and one of the first in the U.S. to send an openly abolitionist Senator to Washington, in the person of John Parker Hale.
When, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
visited Dover to canvass support in the presidential elections of that year, editor William Burr was among those invited to join him on the speaker's platform.
Later editors of the Star included George T. Day and George H. Ball.
The Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
Special Collections library contains a complete collection of original bound editions of The Morning Star.
This Morning Star has no connection with The Morning Star that was published in London at around the same time, nor with the paper of the same name that is published daily in Britain - that publication was founded in 1930 as The Daily Worker, and only changed its name to The Morning Star
The Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
in 1966.