The North Star (anti-slavery newspaper) facts for kids
The North Star, June 2, 1848
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | W.C. Nell |
| Founded | December 3, 1847 |
| Language | American English |
| Ceased publication | June 1, 1851 |
| City | Rochester |
| Country | United States |
| OCLC number | 10426469 |
The North Star was an important newspaper in the 1800s. It was published in Rochester, New York, by a famous abolitionist named Frederick Douglass. An abolitionist is someone who worked to end slavery. The newspaper started on December 3, 1847. It stopped being called The North Star in June 1851. At that time, it joined with another paper to become Frederick Douglass' Paper. Later, during the American Civil War, it was known as Douglass' Monthly.
The newspaper's motto was: "Right is of no Sex—Truth is of no Color—God is the Father of us all, and all we are Brethren." This motto showed its belief in equality for everyone.
Contents
Why Frederick Douglass Started the Newspaper
Frederick Douglass was inspired to start The North Star in 1846. He had been reading The Liberator, another newspaper that fought against slavery. The Liberator was published by William Lloyd Garrison.
The name The North Star was chosen for a special reason. It referred to the North Star that runaway slaves would follow to find their way to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. Canada was often called "the north star" because it was a safe place.
How The North Star Was Published
Like The Liberator, The North Star came out every week. It had four pages and cost $2 per year for a subscription. Over 4,000 people read it in the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. The first page usually focused on important news about ending slavery.
William Lloyd Garrison believed the U.S. Constitution supported slavery. He thought the country should split apart. Douglass disagreed with this idea. However, he did support using peaceful methods to free slaves, like education and convincing people to change their minds.
Douglass worked with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. He traveled with Garrison, sharing his experiences as a former slave. He also worked with another abolitionist, Martin R. Delany. Delany helped by giving lectures and getting more people to subscribe to The North Star.
Douglass's Ideas and the Newspaper's Topics
Frederick Douglass's ideas about how to fight slavery changed over time. In August 1843, he went to an anti-slavery meeting in Buffalo, New York. There, he heard Henry Highland Garnet speak. Garnet, who had also been a slave, was a minister. He believed in taking strong action against slaveholders. Garnet's call for slaves to act for themselves greatly influenced Douglass.
Starting His Own Newspaper
Douglass spent 19 months in Britain and Ireland. While there, some of his supporters bought his freedom. They also helped him buy a printing press. With this help, Douglass decided to start his own newspaper for African Americans. He wanted it to be a voice in the anti-slavery movement.
When he returned to the United States in March 1847, Douglass shared his plan for The North Star. Even though the American Anti-Slavery Society advised him not to, he moved to Rochester, New York. He was determined to publish the first edition. When asked why he wanted to create The North Star, Douglass reportedly said:
I still see before me a life of toil and trials..., but, justice must be done, the truth must be told...I will not be silent.
What The North Star Covered
The North Star and later Frederick Douglass' Paper covered many topics. Douglass could write freely about politics in Europe, literature, and slavery in the United States. He also wrote about general culture. He covered everything from the California Gold Rush to famous books like Uncle Tom's Cabin and Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
In 1848, Douglass wrote an open letter. This letter was to Horatio Gates Warner. Warner had objected to Douglass's daughter, Rosetta Douglass, attending Seward Seminary in Rochester. Douglass's letter argued for ending segregation in all schools. This letter was then published in newspapers across the country.
Other important people who worked with The North Star included Samuel Ringgold Ward and Jermain Wesley Loguen. Douglass also received help from a kind person named Gerrit Smith. Smith later combined his own anti-slavery paper with The North Star. This created Frederick Douglass' Paper.
See also
