Greeley, Horace (1811–72)

BORN IN AMHERST, New Hampshire, Horace Greeley was known as a journalist and political leader. Like many of his day, Greeley did not receive significant schooling. However, through self-study and apprenticing for newspapers, Greeley worked to become one of the most influential political voices and literary leaders of his time.

Because he was founder and longtime editor of the New York Tribune, Greeley's thoughts became well-known through much of America. His tenure as editor of the Tribune was influenced by his conservative upbringing and strong moral beliefs. He spoke relentlessly against various social ills, such as liquor, tobacco, gambling, prostitution, and capital punishment.

Living through the depression of the late 1830s, Greeley was profoundly influenced by his observance of urban poverty. He believed that rural life and farming would serve to resolve this poverty, and starting in 1837, through the rest of his life, he encouraged the poor to “Go west, young man.” He believed populating the western territories with the poor of New York City would serve multiple purposes—it would help relieve the suffering masses of New York City, strengthen the nation by populating its midsection, and ultimately lead to economic growth and good for those who would work hard to build farms and communities in these developing lands. However, Greeley did lament that expanding the United States too far west might make it difficult to maintain democratic rule.

Greeley believed strongly in the nobility of farming as a profession. He purchased a farm in Chappaqua, New York, and experimented with various crops and technologies before exploring and explaining this work in his newspaper as a resource for the farming community. Throughout his life he was disappointed by the scarcity of farming resources, but he took advantage of the available information and reported it for his farming readership.

News reporting and newspapers, in general, were transformed through the influence and leadership of Greeley. At the Tribune, he established the first modern newspaper staff. He expanded news coverage into fields such as book reviews, serial novels, cultural activities, and foreign news. This expanded newspaper helped to educate the masses and expand their understanding not only of American society but of international culture as well.

It is within the Tribune that Greeley was able to share his strong beliefs about key issues in the United States. His outspoken opinions on occasion seem to be in contradiction. While he supported feminist issues, such as equality of education and employment, he spoke strongly against suffrage and expanding divorce laws. He vocalized support for the Free Soil movement, actively supported antislavery sentiment, and opposed secession of the south. He was a prominent promoter of the Homestead Act, signed into law in 1862.

In pursuance of his beliefs in social equality, despite various discrepancies, Greeley argued broadly for basic human rights and equality. His support for the end of slavery was complemented by his belief that impartial suffrage of men was important for reconstruction after the Civil War. While he advocated the importance of [Page 445]agricultural development, Greeley also understood the importance of industrialization. He understood that multiple tactics for economic growth were necessary for national economic progress and the elevation of the masses.

...