Edward Rosewater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Rosewater
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Edward Rosewater
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| Born | January 28, 1841 Bukovany, Bohemia
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| Died | August 30, 1906 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Editor, Publisher |
Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, (January 21, 1841 – August 30, 1906) was an important Republican Party politician and newspaper editor in Omaha, Nebraska. He was known for being strong-willed and sometimes controversial. Edward Rosewater played a big role in the Republican Party in Nebraska.
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Edward Rosewater's Early Life
Edward Rosewater was born in 1841 in Bukovany, Bohemia, to a Jewish family. In 1854, when he was 13, he moved to the United States. He went to a special school to learn about business. After that, he started working for a telegraph company.
Working with Telegraphs
In 1859, Edward Rosewater worked in Oberlin, Ohio. He was there during a famous event called the Oberlin–Wellington Rescue. This event was part of the abolitionist movement, which worked to end slavery. Rosewater became friends with people who supported this cause.
When the American Civil War began, he was working for a telegraph company in Alabama. He was stuck there when the Southern states formed the Confederacy. He was later moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
While in Alabama, he sent an important speech by Jefferson Davis (the leader of the Confederacy) to the Associated Press. Later, when Union soldiers took back Nashville in 1862, Rosewater helped them. He fixed the army's telegraph lines. He then joined the United States Army Signal Corps, which handled communications for the army. He worked with General John C. Frémont and later with General John Pope.
After these campaigns, he worked in Washington D.C. at the White House telegraph office. On January 1, 1863, Edward Rosewater had the important job of sending out President Abraham Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation" by telegraph. This famous document declared many enslaved people free.
Moving to Omaha
In the summer of 1863, Rosewater moved to Omaha, Nebraska. At that time, Omaha was the end point for the Pacific Telegraph Company. He became the manager for Western Union there. He also worked as a reporter for the Associated Press, sending news to newspapers in the eastern United States.
On November 13, 1864, Edward Rosewater married Leah Colman in Cleveland, Ohio. They then moved to Omaha, where they made their home.
Starting Newspapers and Public Service
In 1870, Edward Rosewater was elected to the Nebraska House of Representatives. The next year, he started his own newspaper called Omaha Bee. Less than a month later, he also started Pokrok Západu, which means "The Progress of the West." This was the first newspaper in Omaha written in the Czech language.
While in the Legislature, Rosewater helped create the first Omaha Board of Education. This board helped manage the public schools in Omaha.
Through his newspaper, the Omaha Bee, Rosewater supported new ideas. He pushed for things like a school board for the Omaha Public Schools. He also supported the idea of people directly electing their senators. People said his writing was "clear and to the point." He was known as a strong and brave fighter in political campaigns.
Rosewater was also a member of the Republican National Committee in the late 1800s. In 1888, he built the Bee Building in downtown Omaha, which was a well-known building.
In 1897, President McKinley asked Rosewater to go to Washington D.C. He led the U.S. team at a meeting called the Universal Postal Union. This group works to make sending mail between countries easier and cheaper. This experience helped him when he organized the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition. He convinced the Post Office to create special stamps for the Exposition. He was also praised for the success of the Indian Congress, a big event at the Exposition that brought together representatives from many different Native American tribes.
Edward Rosewater also ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska twice, but he did not win. He passed away at the Omaha Bee building on August 30, 1906.
Edward Rosewater's Legacy
Before he died, Edward Rosewater was helping to start the American Jewish Committee. This group works to protect the rights and well-being of Jewish people. After he died suddenly, his son, Victor Rosewater, joined the committee in his place.
In 1957, the Columbia Broadcasting System and the American Jewish Committee created a TV show about Edward Rosewater. It showed his arrival in Omaha, his strong feelings against slavery, and his style of reporting.
Edward Rosewater's newspaper, the Omaha Bee, was sometimes seen as an example of "sensationalized news." This means it sometimes focused on exciting or shocking stories to get attention.
In 1910, Rosewater School in Omaha was named in his honor.
