Mystery (newspaper) facts for kids
The Mystery was an important African American newspaper started in 1843. It was founded in Pennsylvania by Martin Delany, who was a black activist and a doctor. The newspaper focused on the abolitionist movement, which worked to end slavery. It also aimed to make people feel proud of black life and culture, including their spiritual beliefs. Martin Delany left the Mystery in 1847 to work for another newspaper called the North Star. The Mystery may have stopped publishing that year, or it might have been bought by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. If it was purchased, it is known today as the Christian Recorder.
Contents
About the Mystery Newspaper
How the Paper Started
The Mystery newspaper, sometimes called the Pittsburgh Mystery, began in 1843. It was started in Pittsburgh by Martin Delany. He was a black activist and a doctor. Delany founded the paper two years after a meeting for free people of color was held in Pittsburgh. He was the main editor and wrote most of the articles. Each issue of the paper featured a quote from the Bible.
What the Paper Was About
The Mystery newspaper had four pages. Its main goals were to end slavery, which is called abolitionism, and to celebrate black life and culture. This included supporting black spiritual life. The paper shared news about the abolitionist movement. It also covered events important to the black community. Most of the opinion pieces, called editorials, were written by Delany. The paper also had advertisements, including one for Delany's medical practice. It encouraged readers to feel proud of their African heritage. The black community in Pittsburgh, especially women, helped pay for the newspaper.
Spreading the Word
Other newspapers that supported ending slavery and black newspapers often reprinted articles from the Mystery. Some of these included the Palladium of Liberty and Liberator. The Mystery's articles were generally more moderate than some other papers. For example, The Mirror of Liberty from New York had a stronger tone.
Changes and End of the Paper
Martin Delany gave up financial control of the Mystery in 1844. The paper often struggled to make enough money. A group of black men from Pittsburgh then took over its management. In 1846, the paper changed its motto. It went from a Bible quote to "Hereditary bondsmen! Know ye not who would be free, themselves strike the blow?". Delany left the Mystery in 1847. He went to work with Frederick Douglass at the North Star, another African American newspaper.
Some historians, like James T. Campbell, believe the Mystery newspaper stopped publishing in 1847. However, if it did not end, it was bought by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1848. Around that time, it was renamed the Christian Herald. Later, it was renamed again to the Christian Recorder, which is its name today. Martin Delany passed away in 1885.
