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244:), where the elder Russwurm married widow Susan Blanchard in 1813. (Before the marriage, Russwurm's guardian was Calvin Stockbridge.) Blanchard (now Russwurm) insisted her husband acknowledge "John Brown", as the boy was then known, and grant him his surname. He did so. "John Brown Russwurm" lived with his father, stepmother, and her children from a previous marriage, accepted as part of the family. The elder Russwurm died in 1815, but his son stayed close to his stepmother, even after she remarried (becoming Susan Hawes). The
42:
345:
He resigned from this post in 1835 to protest
America's colonization policies. Russwurm wanted to exercise power in the political arena, and felt that Liberia offered him that opportunity while the United States did not. Furthermore, because the United States was not the land of his birth, he did not
292:
in 1827. The New York City of their day boasted the largest population of Blacks in any
Northern city—an estimated 15,000, which was 10 percent of the 150,000 free "colored" people living in the North. By the early 1800s, these free Blacks and escaped slaves, who lived in a segregated world, had
361:
on June 9, 1851. He continued to encourage the immigration of
African Americans to the Republic of Maryland, and supported its development of agriculture and trade. During his time in Liberia, Russwurm learned several of the native languages. He encouraged trade and diplomatic relations with
307:
was the first newspaper in the United States to be owned, operated, published and edited by
African Americans. During his tenure as editor, Russwurm regularly included material about ancient and modern African history, providing readers on both sides of the Atlantic with a curated source of
315:
When
Cornish resigned from the paper in September 1827, Russwurm used his position to advocate for voluntary emigration of Black people from the United States to Africa. Although such ideas were unpopular with many in the Black leadership, and despite Russwurm's reservations about the
293:
developed their own churches, schools and clubs. In a country that kept 90 percent of Black people in bondage, these institutions provided more than social outlets, they meant survival. On March 16 of that year, 27-year-old
Russwurm, along with his co-editor
320:'s racist tendencies, Russwurm believed that Black people were more likely to prosper in Africa than in the United States. As a result, he resigned as editor in March 1829 and emigrated to Liberia. Cornish, who rejected emigration, started a new paper,
330:
may have only lasted two years, but it quickly opened the door for a wave of Black newspapers. By the time the Civil War started, there were more than 40 Black-owned and -operated newspapers in the United States.
516:
312:
also included canonical texts of
English literary education. In the poetry column of this first issue, for example, he reprinted "Prediction of the Origin of Rome", an excerpt from John Ring.
165:
to an
English father and enslaved mother. As a child he traveled to the United States with his father and received a formal education, becoming the first black person to graduate from
986:
272:
in 1824. Upon graduation in 1826, Russwurm became the first
African American to graduate from Bowdoin College and the third African American to graduate from an American college.
976:
264:
in Maine, focusing on his studies to finish his education. He earned the nickname "Honest John". Graduating in his early twenties, he taught at an
African-American school in
339:
Upon emigrating to Liberia, Russwurm started work as the colonial secretary for the American Colonization Society, serving from 1830 to 1834. He worked as the editor of the
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268:. Several years later he relocated to Maine to live with his stepmother and her new husband. They helped Russwurm pay for further education when he enrolled in
513:
197:'s efforts to develop a colony for African Americans in Africa, and he moved in 1829 to what became Liberia. In 1836 Russwurm was selected as governor of
991:
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between 1850 and 1852, and lived with his stepmother, Susan Russwurm Hawes. He had stayed close with her after his father's death years before.
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415:. The John Brown Russwurm House at Bowdoin College was named after Russwurm in 1970, and houses the school's African American Center.
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Williams, Jasmin K. (September 27 – October 3, 2012). "John B. Russwurm and Freedom's Journal, the first Black newspaper".
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194:
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In 1833, Russwurm married Sarah McGill, daughter of the Lieutenant-Governor of Monrovia and member of the influential
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feel any strong allegiance to it. Russwurm also served as the superintendent of education in Liberia's capital,
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The Struggles of John Brown Russwurm: The Life and Writings of a Pan-Africanist Pioneer, 1799–1851
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The Struggles of John Brown Russwurm: The Life and Writings of a Pan-Africanist Pioneer, 1799-1851
674:
406:
354:
198:
649:
Lewis, Adam (2015). ""A Traitor to His Brethren"?: John Brown Russwurm and the Liberia Herald".
892:. George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collection & Archives, Bowdoin College Library.
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357:, a colony that later became part of Liberia in 1857. He held this post until his death in
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African or American? Black Identity and Political Activism in New York City, 1784–1861
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information about the continent. The literary education Russwurm provided in the
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205:. He served there until his death. The colony was annexed to Liberia in 1857.
114:
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mother. The family stayed in Jamaica until 1807, when Russwurm was sent to
662:
620:"Power of the printed word: Freedom's Journal – the first black newspaper"
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651:
American Periodicals: A Journal of History, Criticism, and Bibliography
226:
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63:
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John Brown Russwurm: The story of Freedom's journal, freedom's journey
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for a visit, bringing two of his sons with him. They were enrolled at
230:
386:
369:
590:
Burroughs, Todd Steven (March–April 2002). "Publish or Perish".
303:, an abolitionist newspaper dedicated to opposition of slavery.
153:(October 1, 1799 – June 9, 1851) was a Jamaican-born American
401:
A statue of John Russwurm was erected at his burial site at
798:
100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia
190:, the first paper owned and operated by African Americans.
248:
in Portland was owned by the family. It is listed on the
823:"Bowdoin in history: half a century of Africana Studies"
385:
In 1850, shortly before his death, Russwurm returned to
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neighboring countries as well as with European nations.
225:
merchant father, John R. Russwurm, and an unknown Black
161:, where he moved from the United States. He was born in
890:
Guide to the John Brown Russwurm Collection, 1819–2000
567:
A Small College in Maine: Two Hundred Years of Bowdoin
140:
120:
106:
92:
70:
48:
32:
898:. Department of Africana Studies, Bowdoin College.
541:"John Brown Russwurm Collection, 1819–2000, n.d."
180:, to New York City, where he was a founder with
987:African-American college graduates before 1865
353:In 1836 he became the first Black governor of
8:
977:People of the American colonization movement
861:. New York, NY: New York University Press.
382:. The couple had a daughter and four sons.
40:
29:
409:named John Brown Russwurm on his list of
405:, Cape Palmas, Liberia. In 2002, scholar
525:National Trust for Historic Preservation
800:. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books.
598:: 38–41 – via MasterFILE Premier.
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157:, newspaper publisher, and colonist of
922:British emigrants to the United States
746:. The Community Leader. Archived from
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201:, a small colony set up nearby by the
997:Governors of the Republic of Maryland
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1002:19th-century American businesspeople
957:African-American publishers (people)
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250:National Register of Historic Places
176:As a young man, Russwurm moved from
879:, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1970.
425:Maryland State Colonization Society
203:Maryland State Colonization Society
569:. Brunswick, Me: Bowdoin College.
453:Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine
193:Russwurm became supportive of the
25:
992:African-American history of Maine
618:Bourne, Wendell (June 22, 2006).
297:, published the first edition of
236:In 1812, father and son moved to
896:Russwurm African American Center
718:"A profile: John Brown Russwurm"
853:(University of Illinois: 2008).
742:Lear, Alex (December 7, 2006).
932:African-American abolitionists
412:100 Greatest African Americans
184:of the abolitionist newspaper
1:
474:. Chicago: World Book. 1996.
318:American Colonization Society
195:American Colonization Society
962:American publishers (people)
947:African-American journalists
942:Writers from Portland, Maine
796:Asante, Molefi Kete (2002).
716:Lee, R. Edward (Fall 1995).
374:Likely Sarah McGill Russwurm
703:The New York Amsterdam News
471:The World Book Encyclopedia
27:Americo-Liberian politician
1018:
821:Ryan, Lucia (2019-03-01).
527:. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
952:American male journalists
744:"Crossing the color line"
565:Calhoun, Charles (1993).
514:"John B. Russwurm House."
503:. NYU Press. p. 291.
39:
967:People from Port Antonio
217:, Jamaica, in 1799, the
927:Americo-Liberian people
857:James, Winston (2010).
280:
937:Bowdoin College alumni
786:James 2010, pp. 76–77.
777:James 2010, pp. 80–81.
691:James 2010, pp. 39–40.
499:Winston James (2010).
442:Sagarin (1970), p. 14.
391:North Yarmouth Academy
375:
246:John B. Russwurm House
982:Hebron Academy alumni
849:Alexander, Leslie M.
663:10.1353/amp.2015.0030
519:May 19, 2013, at the
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335:Emigration to Liberia
213:Russwurm was born in
144:Sarah McGill Russwurm
972:Liberian politicians
768:James 2010, p. 105.
488:on August 23, 2006.
151:John Brown Russwurm
53:John Brown Russwurm
34:John Brown Russwurm
608:James 2010, p. 26.
407:Molefi Kete Asante
376:
355:Maryland in Africa
288:Russwurm moved to
260:Russwurm attended
199:Maryland in Africa
868:978-0-8147-4289-1
328:Freedom's Journal
323:The Rights of All
305:Freedom's Journal
300:Freedom's Journal
283:Freedom's Journal
187:Freedom's Journal
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128:Freedom's Journal
122:Notable credit(s)
16:(Redirected from
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844:Bibliography
830:. Retrieved
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752:. Retrieved
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155:abolitionist
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76:(1851-06-09)
74:June 9, 1851
60:Port Antonio
917:1851 deaths
912:1799 births
832:January 15,
754:January 31,
634:January 31,
550:January 31,
359:Cape Palmas
209:Early years
82:Cape Palmas
906:Categories
592:New Crisis
431:References
281:Editor of
221:son of an
219:mixed-race
115:journalist
679:146201568
671:1548-4238
523:From the
256:Education
111:Publisher
93:Education
517:Archived
456:, p. 841
419:See also
348:Monrovia
722:Blacfax
223:English
163:Jamaica
159:Liberia
86:Liberia
64:Jamaica
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804:
677:
669:
573:
478:
403:Harper
397:Legacy
310:Herald
276:Career
266:Boston
231:Quebec
141:Spouse
675:S2CID
546:. n.d
387:Maine
227:slave
863:ISBN
834:2023
802:ISBN
756:2008
728:: 7.
667:ISSN
636:2008
571:ISBN
552:2008
476:ISBN
169:and
99:and
71:Died
49:Born
659:doi
596:109
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
