Freedom's Journal

Freedom's Journal was the first African-American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. Published weekly in New York City from 1827 to 1829, the journal was edited by John B. Russworm from March 16, 1827 to March 28, 1829 and later, Samuel Cornish served as co-editor (March 16, 1827 to September 14, 1827). Freedom's Journal was superseded by The Rights of All, published between 1829 and 1830 by S. E. Cornish.

Freedom's Journal provided international, national, and regional information on current events and contained editorials declaiming slavery, lynching, and other injustices. The Journal also published biographies of prominent African-Americans and listings of births, deaths, and marriages in the African-American community in New York. Freedom's Journal circulated in 11 states, the District of Columbia, Haiti, Europe, and Canada.

The newspaper employed subscription agents like David Walker, who in 1829 published the first of four articles that called for rebellion. Walker's Appeal stated that "[…] it is no more harm for you to kill the man who is trying to kill you than it is for you to take a drink of water […]" This bold attack was widely read and Walker distributed copies of his pamphlet into the South, where it was widely banned.

References

Freedom's Journal in Wisconsin history, includes digitized facimilies of all 103 issues.