In the 1850s the central issue in America was slavery, and the debates over it played out in the country's newspapers. And, it should be noted, those debates often turned violent.
In this week's Newspaper Sunday feature, I invite you to take a look at some articles from the 1850s:
- The New York Tribune, May 20, 1856: Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts gave an impassioned anti-slavery speech in the Senate, which was well received in some quarters.
- New York Tribune, May 23, 1856: Senator Sumner's speech so offended southerners that he was beaten with a cane by a South Carolina congressman. The New York Tribune broke the news and expressed shock.
- Fayetteville, Observer, August 7, 1856: In the South, Congressman Brooks was often regarded as a hero who had "justly chastised" Senator Sumner.
- The Anti-Slavery Bugle, October 29, 1859: An abolitionist newspaper in Ohio reported the first news of John Brown's raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry.
I encourage you to explore the newspapers at the Library of Congress's Chronicling America site. The site is unfortunately quite slow at times, so it may require some patience, but the material you can discover is fascinating.
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Illustration: Scene in a Richmond Barbershop, circa 1850s/Library of Congress
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