The New York Tribune at Harper's Ferry: “Horace Greeley on Trial”

Abstract

The New York Tribune's role in the Harper's Ferry raid provides a case study of antebellum press partisanship and reveals Horace Greeley's ties to the abolitionist movement. The primary documents cited in this study include excerpts from the Tribune, supporting Republican newspapers, published accounts of court proceedings, and the responses of anti-abolitionist editors and readers. This particular examination of the relationship between Brown and Greeley is significant for press historians because it links the Tribune to an alleged conspiracy that fueled backlash against a powerful editorial voice. The study also provides a sample of political alliances in the press prior to the 1860 elections.