Fanatics and Fire-eaters: Newspapers and the Coming of the Civil War PDF
Preview Fanatics and Fire-eaters: Newspapers and the Coming of the Civil War
FANATICS NEWSPAPERS AND THE - & FIRE COMING OF THE CIVIL WAR EATERS Lorman A. Ratner and Dwight L. Teeter, Jr. Fanatics and Fire-eaters 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 1 5/4/04, 2:29 PM the history of communication Robert W. McChesney and John C. Nerone, editors A list of books in the series appears at the end of this book. 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 2 5/4/04, 2:29 PM Fanatics and Fire-eaters newspapers and the coming of the civil war Lorman A. Ratner and Dwight L. Teeter Jr. university of illinois press urbana and chicago 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 3 5/4/04, 2:29 PM First paperback edition, 2004 © 2003 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 cp 5 4 3 2 1 ∞ This book is printed on acid-free paper. The Library of Congress cataloged the cloth edition as follows: Ratner, Lorman. Fanatics and fire-eaters : newspapers and the coming of the Civil War / Lorman A. Ratner and Dwight L. Teeter Jr. p. cm. — (The history of communication) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-252-02787-6 (cloth : acid-free paper) 1. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Causes. 2. Journalism—Political aspects—United States—History—19th century. 3. Press and politics—United States—History—19th century. 4. American newspapers—History—19th century. 5. United States—Politics and government—1849–1861. 6. United States—Social conditions—To 1865. I. Teeter, Dwight L. II. Title. III. Series. e459.r3125 2003 973.7'11—dc21 2002006415 Paperback isbn 0-252-07221-9 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 4 5/4/04, 2:29 PM For Paula Kaufman and Letitia Teeter 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 5 5/4/04, 2:29 PM 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 6 5/4/04, 2:29 PM contents preface / ix acknowledgments / xiii Introduction / 1 1. The Emergence of a Democratic Press / 7 2. Impeding Civilization: The Brooks-Sumner Incident / 34 3. The Dred Scott Decision and a Society of Laws / 49 4. Kansas and the Lecompton Constitution: Does the Majority Rule? / 60 5. John Brown’s Raid: Violence in a Republican Society / 71 6. Lincoln’s Election: Could a Republican Lead the Republic? / 85 7. Firing on Fort Sumter: A Republic at War with Itself / 102 Conclusion: The Shattered Republic / 117 notes / 121 index / 133 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 7 5/4/04, 2:29 PM 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 8 5/4/04, 2:29 PM preface We undertook this study because of our interest in two subjects. Along with many others, we wondered about the dynamic between ideas and actions that resulted in the American Civil War. We also wondered about what newspa- pers, which by the mid-1850s had become so numerous and so large in circu- lation as for the first time to become mass media, would reveal about the so- cietal conflicts resulting in war. From 1856 to 1861, the fabric of American society was torn by a series of events. Each event—described and fervently commented on in newspapers North and South—resulted in anger, fear, and hatred between and among segments of American society. No sooner would these emotions begin to sub- side when another inflammatory event would rekindle those ignoble emo- tions and add to them. We chose six events which, between 1856 and 1861, riveted national attention and generated great controversy. In chronological order, the events were the Brooks-Sumner caning incident of May 1856; the Dred Scott decision of March 1857; the debates over the Lecompton Constitu- tion for Kansas during the winter of 1857–58; John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in the fall of 1859; Abraham Lincoln’s election in November 1860; and the firing on Fort Sumter in April 1861. Each event was covered and commented upon in every newspaper in the land. We selected a number of newspapers published in different parts of the country, newspapers representing differing political positions. Although many were published in cities, not all were urban. Some urban newspapers, notably Horace Greeley’s circulation-leading New York Tribune, were either widely cir- culated or published weekly editions read across the country. Although we assume that newspapers must have influenced the opinions of those who read them, we have no way to measure that influence. Instead, we believe that the great value of newspapers was what they might reveal about the emotions and ix 01.Ftmtter.i-blnk xvi_Ratner 9 5/4/04, 2:29 PM
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