George Jones (publisher) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Jones
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George Jones and The New York Times in 1885
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| Born | August 16, 1811 |
| Died | August 12, 1891 (aged 79) |
| Burial place | Sleepy Hollow Cemetery |
| Occupation | Publisher Banker |
| Known for | Founding The New York Times |
George Jones (born August 16, 1811 – died August 12, 1891) was an American journalist. He is famous for co-founding The New-York Daily Times with Henry Jarvis Raymond. This newspaper is now known as The New York Times.
Contents
Early Life and Career
George Jones was born in 1811 in Poultney (town), Vermont. After his parents passed away, he moved back to Vermont. He worked at a newspaper called the Northern Spectator.
Later, he moved to Troy, New York, around 1833. There, he worked in dry goods and then in banking. He also spent some years in the area that would become New York City. On October 26, 1826, he married Sarah Maris Gilbert in Troy. They had four children: Emma, Elizabeth, Mary, and their only son, Gilbert.
Founding The New York Times
George Jones and Henry Jarvis Raymond first met while working at the New-York Tribune. They decided to start their own newspaper. Jones helped raise money for this new project. He got contributions from investors and also put in $25,000 of his own money. His former banking partner, Edward Wesley, also added $25,000.
The first issue of their newspaper, The New-York Daily Times, came out on September 18, 1851. A few years later, on September 14, 1857, the paper changed its name to The New York Times.
Fighting Corruption: The Boss Tweed Story
When Henry Raymond died in June 1869, George Jones became the publisher of The New York Times. From 1870 to 1871, the newspaper bravely attacked a very powerful and corrupt politician named Boss Tweed. Tweed led a group of politicians who were stealing money from New York City.
The New York Times published strong articles written by George William Curtis. It also featured powerful cartoons drawn by Thomas Nast. These articles and drawings showed how corrupt Tweed and his group were.
Tweed tried to stop the newspaper. He even offered George Jones $5 million (a huge amount of money back then!) to not publish a story that would expose him. But Jones refused the bribe. He went ahead and published the story, showing his strong commitment to honest journalism. The newspaper's efforts played a big part in exposing Tweed and his corrupt government. This helped bring about Tweed's downfall.
Death
George Jones passed away on August 12, 1891. He was almost 80 years old. He died at the Poland Springs Hotel in South Poland, Maine. He is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
See also
In Spanish: George Jones (periodista) para niños
