The Revolution (newspaper)
Encyclopedia
The Revolution was a weekly women's rights
newspaper
published between January 8, 1868 and February 1872. It was the official publication of the National Woman Suffrage Association which was formed by feminists Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Susan B. Anthony
. This newspaper was edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Parker Pillsbury
and initially funded by George Francis Train
.
The newspaper's motto, printed on the masthead of the first edition's front page, was, "Principle, not policy; Justice, not favors." Beginning with the second edition, the following was added to the motto: "Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less." Later editions used these words as the motto: "The True Republic—Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less."
Although The Revolution’s circulation never exceeded 3,000, its influence on the national woman’s rights movement was enormous. The paper functioned as the official voice of the National Woman Suffrage Association and discussed controversial issues of divorce, prostitution, and reproductive rights and linked change to female enfranchisement and other things. The Revolution was instrumental in attracting working-class women to the movement by devoting columns to concerns such as unionization and discrimination against female workers.
Train's contributions to the paper declined after he was imprisoned in England for backing Irish rebels. His support ceased by May 1869, and the paper began to operate in debt. Anthony insisted on expensive, high-quality printing equipment, and she paid women workers the high wages she thought they deserved. She banned any advertisements for alcohol- and morphine-laden patent medicine
s; all such medicines were abhorrent to her. However, revenue from non-patent-medicine advertisements was too low to cover costs.
In January 1870, a rival paper was launched by Lucy Stone
, called the Woman's Journal
. Despite conjecture at the time, it is doubtful that Anthony and Stanton suffered from any competition for subscribers. Few subscribers switched allegiance; many subscribed to both.
In June 1870, Laura Curtis Bullard, a Brooklyn-based writer whose parents became wealthy from selling a popular morphine-laden patent medicine called "Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup", bought The Revolution for one dollar, with Anthony assuming its $10,000 debt, an amount equal to $ in current value. Anthony used her lecture fees to repay the debt, completing the task in six years. Under Bullard, the paper reorganized to include more social gossip and mainstream literature, and it began to carry the lucrative patent medicine advertisements that Anthony had banned. Nevertheless, it did not thrive; its last issue was published in February 1872.
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published between January 8, 1868 and February 1872. It was the official publication of the National Woman Suffrage Association which was formed by feminists Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early woman's movement...
and Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
. This newspaper was edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early woman's movement...
and Parker Pillsbury
Parker Pillsbury
Parker Pillsbury was an American minister and advocate for abolition and women's rights.Pillsbury was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts...
and initially funded by George Francis Train
George Francis Train
George Francis Train was an entrepreneurial businessman who organized the clipper ship line that sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco; he organized the Union Pacific Railroad and the Credit Mobilier in the United States, and a horse tramway company in England while there during the American...
.
The newspaper's motto, printed on the masthead of the first edition's front page, was, "Principle, not policy; Justice, not favors." Beginning with the second edition, the following was added to the motto: "Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less." Later editions used these words as the motto: "The True Republic—Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less."
Although The Revolution’s circulation never exceeded 3,000, its influence on the national woman’s rights movement was enormous. The paper functioned as the official voice of the National Woman Suffrage Association and discussed controversial issues of divorce, prostitution, and reproductive rights and linked change to female enfranchisement and other things. The Revolution was instrumental in attracting working-class women to the movement by devoting columns to concerns such as unionization and discrimination against female workers.
Train's contributions to the paper declined after he was imprisoned in England for backing Irish rebels. His support ceased by May 1869, and the paper began to operate in debt. Anthony insisted on expensive, high-quality printing equipment, and she paid women workers the high wages she thought they deserved. She banned any advertisements for alcohol- and morphine-laden patent medicine
Patent medicine
Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...
s; all such medicines were abhorrent to her. However, revenue from non-patent-medicine advertisements was too low to cover costs.
In January 1870, a rival paper was launched by Lucy Stone
Lucy Stone
Lucy Stone was a prominent American abolitionist and suffragist, and a vocal advocate and organizer promoting rights for women. In 1847, Stone was the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree. She spoke out for women's rights and against slavery at a time when women were discouraged...
, called the Woman's Journal
Woman's Journal
Woman's Journal was a women's rights periodical published from 1870-1931.Woman's Journal was founded in 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts by Lucy Stone and her husband Henry Browne Blackwell as a weekly newspaper. The new paper incorporated Mary A...
. Despite conjecture at the time, it is doubtful that Anthony and Stanton suffered from any competition for subscribers. Few subscribers switched allegiance; many subscribed to both.
In June 1870, Laura Curtis Bullard, a Brooklyn-based writer whose parents became wealthy from selling a popular morphine-laden patent medicine called "Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup", bought The Revolution for one dollar, with Anthony assuming its $10,000 debt, an amount equal to $ in current value. Anthony used her lecture fees to repay the debt, completing the task in six years. Under Bullard, the paper reorganized to include more social gossip and mainstream literature, and it began to carry the lucrative patent medicine advertisements that Anthony had banned. Nevertheless, it did not thrive; its last issue was published in February 1872.
External Links
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 1, January 8, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 2, January 15, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 3, January 22, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 4, January 29, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 5, February 5, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 6, February 12, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 7, February 19, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 8, February 26, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 9, March 5, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 10, March 12, 1868
- The Revolution, vol. 1, no. 11, March 19, 1868