Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy (born November 9, 1802 in Albion , Massachusetts , † November 7, 1837 in Alton , Illinois ) was an American Presbyterian pastor , journalist and opponent of slavery ( abolitionist ). He was murdered by a slavery pro mob. He was venerated as a martyr by the abolitionists .
Life
Lovejoy's father was a pastor of a congregational church, so Lovejoy grew up as a devout Christian. He attended Waterville College (now Colby College ) in his home state of Maine . He later moved west and settled in St. Louis , Missouri in 1827 . There he worked as a journalist for the St. Louis Observer , a newspaper that opposed President Andrew Jackson . He also ran a school. Lovejoy later studied at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey and became an ordained minister. When he returned to St. Louis, he became a journalist for the Observer , writing against slavery.
In 1836, when advocates of slavery destroyed his printing press for the third time, he moved to Alton, Illinois. In 1837 he founded the Alton Observer . In this newspaper he continued to write against slavery. On November 7, 1837, a lynch mob harassed him, set his building on fire, destroyed his press and murdered him.
Elijah Lovejoy was buried in Alton Cemetery . His brother Owen went into politics, became a member of the United States House of Representatives, and led the Illinois abolitionist movement.
Private
In 1835 Lovejoy married Celia Ann French and had two children with her.
Legacies and Honors
- Abraham Lincoln mentioned the murder in a speech in January 1838 ( Lyceum address ).
- In 1897, Alton's citizens erected a monument in his honor.
- The library at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is named after him.
- The Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award , which is presented for journalistic achievement, is given by Colby College .
- Elijah Lovejoy has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame off Delmar Boulevard.
literature
- Edward Beecher: Narrative of Riots at Alton, in Connection with the Death of Rev. Elijah P Lovejoy . Mnemosyne Pub. Co, 1969.
- Merton L. Dillon: John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (Eds.): American National Biography . Oxford University Press , New York 1999, ISBN 0-19-512793-5 , pp. Vol. 14, pages 4-5.
- Merton L. Dillon: Elijah P. Lovejoy, Abolitionist Editor . University of Illinois Press , Urbana 1961.
- John D. Lawson, Robert L. Howard (ed.): American State Trials: A Collection of the Important and Interesting Criminal Trials which have taken place in the United States, from the beginning of our Government to the Present Day . FH Thomas Law Book Co, St. Louis 1916.
- Joseph C. Lovejoy, Owen Lovejoy : Memoir of the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy: Who was Murdered in Defense of the Liberty of the Press at Alton, Illinois, Nov. 7, 1837 . JS Taylor, New York 1838.
- Henry Tanner: The Martyrdom of Lovejoy: An Account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev Elijah P. Lovejoy . AM Kelley, 1971, ISBN 0-678-00744-6 .
additional
- Jennifer Phillips: Elijah Lovejoy's Fight for Freedom . Publisher: Nose in a Book Publishing, 2009. Biography for middle-grade readers.
- Paul Simon: Freedom's Champion . Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL 62902-3697 1994, ISBN 0-8093-1940-3 , p. 206.
Web links
- Elijah Parish Lovejoy in the database of Find a Grave (English)
- Biography of Spartacus Schoolnet
- St. Louis Walk of Fame
- Biography from the website of the city of Alton, Illinois
- Correspondence and Manuscripts, 1804-1891, from the Southwest Collection / Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University .
Individual evidence
- ^ John D. Lawson, Robert L. Howard (Eds.): American State Trials: A Collection of the Important and Interesting Criminal Trials which have taken place in the United States, from the beginning of our Government to the Present Day . St. Louis: FH Thomas Law Book Co 1916.
- ↑ Joseph C. Lovejoy, Owen Lovejoy: Memoir of the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy: Who was Murdered in Defense of the Liberty from the Press at Alton, Illinois, Nov. 7, 1837 . 1838
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Lovejoy, Elijah Parish |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American abolitionist |
DATE OF BIRTH | November 9, 1802 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Albion , Massachusetts |
DATE OF DEATH | November 7, 1837 |
Place of death | Alton , Illinois |