''The Philanthropist'' was an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written 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 politics, business, sports a ...

printed in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, starting in 1836, edited by James G. Birney, and printed Achilles Pugh for the

Ohio Anti-Slavery Society The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society (1835-1845) was an abolitionist society established in Zanesville, Ohio, by American activists such as Gamaliel Bailey, Asa Mahan, John Rankin, Charles Finney and Theordore Dwight Weld. Background Beginning The O ...

. Originally published at

New Richmond, Ohio New Richmond, also known as New Richmond on the Ohio, is a village in Ohio and Pierce townships in Clermont County, Ohio, United States, founded in 1814, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,582 at the 2010 census. Geography New Richmon ...

due to complications with Cincinnati

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Samuel W. Davies, the paper moved to Cincinnati in April 1836 to resume publication. The plan had always involved Cincinnati, but Birney wanted to publish a few issues out of the

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Jur ...

of Davies first. The paper often gave readers two sides of an argument. He would print news items from the South that were

proslavery Proslavery is a support for slavery. It is found in the Bible, in the thought of ancient philosophers, in British writings and in American writings especially before the American Civil War but also later through 20th century. Arguments in favor o ...

and then critique them. The paper was the target of at least two episodes of

mob violence A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

in the city. One incident occurred on July 30, 1836, when rioters broke into the printing offices of the paper and vandalized the interior, scattering the

types Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Typ ...

throughout the streets. The mob continued to the Pugh's house and the residence of Birney, leaving both places undisturbed. They returned to the offices and debated on whether to burn the material, deciding not to do so because they were feared that the homes in the area might also catch fire. The mob then proceeded to the offices of Charles Hammond, editor of the ''

Cincinnati Daily Gazette Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

''. Hammond was an ally of Birney insofar as

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been ...

was concerned, though himself was not an abolitionist. Deciding against action on the ''Gazette'' offices, the mob dispersed to the black areas of town and began vandalizing the area when

gunfire A gunshot is a single discharge of a gun, typically a man-portable firearm, producing a visible flash, a powerful and loud shockwave and often chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a ballistic wound caused by such a discharg ...

erupted. After brief dispersal, the mob returned to the area and found abandoned homes, which they proceeded to enter and deface. At this point

Samuel W. Davies, who had watched the destruction of the office earlier, instructed the crowd to disperse. A second incident occurred in September 1841, described in the ''Cincinnati Gazette,'' during which the printing press and office of the ''Philanthropist'' were destroyed. Indiana's Neel's eil'sCreek Anti-Slavery Society subsequently approved a set of resolutions condemning the attack, which "aimed a death-blow at the freedom of the press & the liberty of our country."Indiana State Library, "Minute Book of Neel's Creek Anti-Slavery Society," Sept. 15, 1841.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philanthropist, The Defunct newspapers published in Cincinnati Abolitionist newspapers published in the United States Publications established in 1836 Publications disestablished in 1843 Defunct weekly newspapers Riots and civil disorder in Cincinnati

See also

References