Horace Greeley: A Primary Perspective

 

Horace Greeley's legacy has long been looked at by critics and supporters alike. Primary sources, like the New York Times, have covered the lives of historical figures like Greeley. The press coverage of Greeley is mixed. As a newsman himself, Greeley often times was critiqued by his competitors for the smallest of things.

During the 1872 presidential election, Greeley was taking on the Republican establishment and the press. In a September 21, 1872 edition of the New York Times, Greeley was ridiculed for his partnership with southern Democrats in an attempt to steal the White House from Grant (Rawlins, 1872, p. 2).  

Greeley's newly formed Liberal Republican Party attempted to steal votes from the Republican Party while simultaneously rebranding the existing Democrat Party. The Liberal Republican Party represented a reconstruction philosophy used to rebuild the south more aggressively than Republicans had wanted which led to his increased support amongst Democrats and his alienation of most mainstream Republican politicians and voters.

In an earlier article published by the New York Times, J. N. Larned harped on Greeley's association with Democrats and his inability to talk about the issues. Rather than taking a nonpartisan look at Greeley's policies, Larned took a critical approach to how Greeley was responding, or his lack of responding (Larned, 1872, p. 5).

Greeley, despite being the owner and editor of the New York Tribune, neglected to speak in depth on policy issues. He was mainly focused on personal attacks against President Grant. The media took this as a chance to pounce and attack. The New York Times boldly claimed that Greeley was silent and refused to even speak publicly when in fact he did. 

Congressman Albert Rust

Not all of the press coverage by the New York Times was negative towards Greeley. In 1856, a Democrat congressman from Arkansas, Albert Rust, physically attacked Horace Greeley for Greeley's anti-Slavery comments. In their coverage of the attack and subsequent arrest of Congressman Rust, the Times unbiasedly reported on the facts of the attack and included a defense of Greeley's actions against Albert Rust (Editorial, 1856, p.1). 

In June of 1872, the New York Times wrote a lengthy piece about Greeley's influence on the black community. They article focuses on Greeley's positive influence in the black community because of his push for the abolition of slavery and the enfranchisement of black men. This positive media piece reflects the media's bipolar approach to covering individuals like Horace Greeley (Freedman, 1872, p. 4). Interestingly enough, this article was written by a man from Greensboro, North Carolina; a local flare to a national icon.

Greeley's popularity among black Republicans and southern Democrats gave him a large percentage of popular vote support. Early in 1872, Greeley was polling around 40% which is huge considering the Liberal Republican Party was not a mainstream political party and Greeley's influence was centered in New York and New England.

The November 1872 coverage of Greeley was kind in nature. Due to his death, the published obituary positively reflected Greeley's life and legacy on this country. A full two page write up on his life, the New York Times attempted to portray Greeley's life positively (Editorial, 1872, p. 4 & 5). However, in typical New York Times fashion, immediately following his death they covered the debate on what to do with his electoral votes and ultimately lobbying for Greeley's electoral votes to be awarded to Grant; Greeley's lifetime rival.

The life of Horace Greeley is portrayed in a manner that is similarly represented in primary resources and secondary resources. The coverage by the New York Times tells first hand the life of Horace Greeley with the same tone as the secondary resource Encyclopedia Britanica. 

Editor. (1856, February 13). Arrest of Mr. Rust. The New York Times. page 1. Link

Editor. (1872, September 21). Horace Greeley Silent. The South Bend Tribune. page 2. Link

Editor. (1872, November 30). Obituary. The New York Times. pages 4-5. Link

Editor. (1872, December 1). Electoral College. The New York Times. page 1. Link

Freedman. (1872, June 8). Horace Greeley and the Colored Vote. The New York Times. page 4. Link

Larned, J. (1872, May 17). Horace Greeley and the Democratic Party. The New York Times. page 5. Link

Jacob Riis: The Photographer

Jacob Riis by: Getty Images

Born in 1849 to Danish parents, Jacob Riis is one of the first photojournalists to forever change the way people consume media. Riis was a documentary photojournalist who dedicate much of his life depicting the 'other half' of society who live below the poverty line. 

His most famous work is often not accredited to him and unknown to many who have seen it. His series "How the Other Half Lives" depicts the dire living conditions of immigrants living in the New York slums after making the journey to America. An immigrant himself, Riis understands what that life is like. When he first immigrated to the United States, he lived in the very slums that he would later depict in his photography. 

"The Other Half" by Jacob Riis

Riis' work is renowned internationally for directing attention to the living conditions of America's immigrant class. He would later have multiple books published with his photography and descriptions of the living conditions. Some of his work is still on display at the Museum of the City of New York where his legacy lives on.

Though much of his work does go unnoticed, his influence and impact on American journalism and photojournalism is immense. Riis is sort of the 'Father of Photojournalism" as his photographs told a story in more vivid detail than words.

Jacob Riis - International Center of Photography