John H. Murphy Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John H. Murphy Sr.
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| Born | December 25, 1840 Baltimore, Maryland
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| Died | April 5, 1922 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Publisher |
| Known for | The Afro-American (Baltimore) |
John Henry Murphy Sr. (born December 25, 1840 – died April 5, 1922) was an African-American newspaper publisher. He lived in Baltimore, Maryland. John Henry Murphy was born into slavery. He is famous for starting the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper. This newspaper is also called The AFRO. It is one of the oldest Black family-owned newspapers still running in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
John Henry Murphy was born on Christmas Day in 1840. He was born into slavery in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Benjamin Murphy III and Susan Colby. He was enslaved until he was 24 years old.
In 1864, he joined the United States Colored Troops. This was a special group of Black soldiers in the Union Army. He became a sergeant. At that time, only white soldiers could be high-ranking officers.
Not much is known about John Henry Murphy before the American Civil War. After 1863, the U.S. government decided to let Black men join the army. President Abraham Lincoln had announced the "Emancipation Proclamation" in 1862. This statement freed all enslaved people in the states that were fighting against the Union. It became official on January 1, 1863. After this, many freedmen, free Black men, and people who had escaped slavery joined the army. They fought for the Union Army in units like the U.S.C.T..
Life After the War
Marriage and Family
In 1868, Murphy married Martha Elizabeth Howard. Martha's father, Enoch George Howard, was a wealthy Black farmer. He had been a free man before the war. John and Martha met at church.
They settled in Baltimore and had 11 children. Ten of their children lived to be adults. Their son, Carl J. Murphy, later started working with his father at the newspaper in 1918.
Building a Newspaper Empire
After the war, Murphy worked as a whitewasher, like his father. Later, he worked in the postal service. He also had jobs as a porter, a janitor, and a manager of a feed store. He even managed the printing part of the Afro-American newspaper for a church.
During these years, Murphy became very active in the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. This was the first Black church group in the U.S. He used a small printing press to make a weekly church paper. It was called the Sunday School Helper.
In 1897, John Henry Murphy bought the printing presses of the Afro-American newspaper. He borrowed $200 from his wife, Martha. She had sold some land she inherited from her father. Murphy then combined his Sunday School Helper with the Afro. In 1900, he bought another newspaper called The Ledger. He then renamed his paper The Afro-American Ledger.
Murphy used his newspaper to help the Black community in Baltimore. He shared their news and fought for civil rights. He also reported on unfair treatment. At first, his family worked for the paper without pay. Later, he had up to 100 employees. He strongly pushed for fairness in education, jobs, housing, and public places. In 1913, he was chosen as the president of the National Negro Press Association.
Because Black people in Baltimore had a lot of economic and political power, Maryland did not stop Black people from voting. This was different from many other southern states. Black people in Baltimore faced challenges but kept more freedom and political power than in most other southern states.
His son, Carl J. Murphy, had studied in Germany. He was a professor at Howard University. In 1918, he came back to Baltimore to work with his father at the newspaper. After John Henry Murphy's death in 1922, Carl J. Murphy became the editor and publisher.
John Henry Murphy's family continued to lead the newspaper for many generations. This included his son, Carl J. Murphy, who led it for 45 years. His grandson, John H. Murphy, III, also led the paper.
Legacy and Honors
- In 2008, John Henry Murphy was added to the Hall of Fame. This was for the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association.
