The ''New-York Commercial Advertiser'' was an American evening

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

. It originated as the ''American Minerva'' in 1793, changed its name in 1797, and was published, with slight name variations, until 1904.

History

The paper had its origins in the ''American Minerva'', founded in 1793 by

Noah Webster Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible ( Book of Genesis, chapters 5� ...

. Its first edition was published on December 9, 1793.Snyder, K. Alan
Defining Noah Webster: a spiritual biography
(2002) It went through a few name changes in its first few years before settling on the ''Commercial Advertiser'' in September 1797. Webster's involvement with the paper ended in 1803, and Zachariah Lewis replaced him as publisher.Brigham, Clarence S
Bibliography of American Newspapers: 1690-1820, Part VII: New York City
''American Antiquarian Society'', p. 392-95 (October 1917) Under Webster and Lewis, the paper generally was a supporter of the

Federalists The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

.Wilson, James Grant
The memorial history of the City of New-York
p.142-43 (1893) Lewis retired in 1820 and the paper taken over by William Leete Stone Sr. and Francis Hall.Hall, H.M
New York Newspapers Long Ago
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' In 1831, Stone was physically attacked by

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the ''New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poetry ...

, editor of the rival ''

New York Evening Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established i ...

'' with whom he had had a few disputes.Muller, Gilbert H
William Cullen Bryant: author of America
p. 93-95 (2008) () Stone remained at the paper until his death in 1844.Cyclopædia of American literature, Volume 2
p. 150-51 (1856) In 1840, Stone was sued in one of the libel lawsuits brought by author James Fenimore Cooper.Biographical sketches of preeminent Americans, Volume 2
(1892) John B. Hall purchased Stone's stake in the paper. Francis Hall served as editor from 1844 until he retired in 1863, and William L. Hurlbut became editor from 1863 to 1867.The Letters of William Lloyd Garrison
p. 27 (1975)

Thurlow Weed Edward Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a printer, New York newspaper publisher, and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was i ...

then became editor briefly, followed by Hugh Hastings by 1868.(15 September 1883)
Obituary: Hugh J. Hastings
''The American Bookseller'' Hudson, Frederic
Journalism in the United States from 1690 to 1872
p. 192-94 (1873) In 1886,

Parke Godwin Parke Godwin (January 28, 1929 – June 19, 2013) was an American writer. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 1982 for his story "The Fire When It Comes". He was a native of New York City, where he was born in 1929. He was the g ...

purchased the paper from the estate of Hastings.(30 May 1886)
Commercial Advertiser Stock
''

Henry Sedley Henry Sedley may refer to: * Henry Sedley (actor) * Henry Sedley (journalist) * Sir Henry Sedley, 3rd Baronet, of the Sedley baronets There have been three baronetcies created for members of the Sedley ( otherwise Sidley) family of Kent, all in ...

also acquired part of the paper in the 1880s, and became its editor. John A. Cockerill, former editor of the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under pub ...

'', took over as editor of the paper in 1891, where he lasted three years.Cockerill
''Overland Monthly'', p. 626 (June 1987)Brian, Dennis
Pulitzer: A Life
p. 159 (2001) H.J. Wright took over as editor in 1897, replacing Foster Coates.Wright, Henry John (1866- )
''Universities and Their Sons: New York University'', Vol. II (1903)(2 May 1897)

''

''(7 August 1892)
Newspaper Politics
''Newark Sunday Call''

Lincoln Steffens Lincoln Austin Steffens (April 6, 1866 – August 9, 1936) was an American investigative journalist and one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era in the early 20th century. He launched a series of articles in '' McClure's'', called " ...

wrote for the ''Commercial Advertiser'' in the 1890s. A semi-weekly paper called the ''New-York Spectator'', intended for subscribers outside of the city, was also published by the paper for many years.

Rebranding as ''The Globe''

On February 1, 1904, the ''Commercial Advertiser'' was revamped and renamed ''The Globe and Commercial Advertiser''. and generally known as ''

The New York Globe ''The New York Globe'', also called ''The New York Evening Globe'', was a daily New York City newspaper published from 1904 to 1923, when it was bought and merged into ''The New York Sun''. It is not related to a New York City-based Saturday fami ...

'' from that point forwards. In 1923, newspaper owner and consolidator Frank Munsey bought the ''Globe''.(27 May 1923)
Frank A. Munsey Buys N. Y. Globe, Founded in 1793
''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'', Retrieved November 19, 2010(4 June 1923)
The Press: Mr. Munsey Buys
''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'', Retrieved November 19, 2010 Munsey merged the ''Globe'' into the ''

New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...

'', thus ending what ''

'' magazine described at the time as the "oldest daily newspaper in the United States".(11 June 1923)
The Press: The Great Consolidator
''

'', Retrieved November 19, 2010

Chronology of names

* ''American Minerva, Patroness of Peace, Commerce and the Liberal Arts'' * March 1794: ''American Minerva and the New-York (Evening) Advertiser'' * May 1795: ''American Minerva: An Evening Advertiser'' * April 1796: ''Minerva & Mercantile Evening Advertiser'' * September 1797: ''Commercial Advertiser''Daniel, Marcus Leonard
Scandal & civility: journalism and the birth of American democracy
p. 339 (2009) * January 1804: ''New-York Commercial Advertiser'' * October 1809: ''Commercial Advertiser'' * January 1831: ''New-York Commercial Advertiser''About New-York commercial advertiser
Chronicling America (Library of Congress), Retrieved July 8, 2011 * September 1889: ''The Commercial Advertiser'' * December 1892: ''New York Commercial Advertiser'' * June 1895: ''The Commercial Advertiser'' * February 1904: '' The Globe and Commercial Advertiser''

References

{{reflist

External links

New York Spectator archives 1797-1845
at fultonhistory.com (semi-weekly edition published by the ''Commercial Advertiser'') Defunct newspapers published in New York City Daily newspapers published in New York City