Notable people · Abolitionist · Journalist
Gamaliel Bailey
Born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, Bailey moved to Cincinnati in 1831 to practice medicine, then became editor and proprietor of The Philanthropist (from 1836-37), the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society paper. Mobs wrecked his press three times. He moved to Washington in 1847 to edit the National Era, and died at sea.
At a glance
- Born
- 1807-12-03
- Died
- 1859-06-05
- Education
- Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, to 1827, M.D.
- Known as
- Abolitionist, Journalist
- Organizations
- The Philanthropist, Ohio Anti-Slavery Society, Lane Theological Seminary
Life story
Gamaliel Bailey was born in New Jersey in 1807, moved to Philadelphia as a child, and finished a medical degree at Jefferson Medical College in 1827.
He set up as a doctor in Cincinnati in 1831 and lectured on physiology at Lane Seminary. He was in Cincinnati during the 1834 Lane Debates on slavery.
In 1836 he joined James Birney at the antislavery paper The Philanthropist and the next year became sole editor. His office was threatened by mobs, and in 1843 the paper became the Cincinnati Morning Herald.
In 1847 he moved to Washington to run The National Era, which survived a three-day mob siege in 1848 and published Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1851-52. He helped fund Dred Scott's Supreme Court case. He died at sea in 1859.
Timeline
- 1827: Medical degree, Jefferson Medical College (Philadelphia, PA) source
- 1831: Starts medical practice; lectures at Lane Seminary (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1834: Present at Lane Debates (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1836: Joins James G. Birney at The Philanthropist (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1837: Becomes sole editor and proprietor (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1843: Paper becomes Cincinnati Morning Herald (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1847: Takes over The National Era (Washington, D.C.) source
- 1848: Mob siege of newspaper office (three days) (Washington, D.C.) source
- 1851: National Era begins serializing Uncle Tom's Cabin (Washington, D.C.) source
- 1859-06-05: Dies aboard steamship Arago (At sea) source
What Gamaliel is known for
- Edited The Philanthropist in Cincinnati 1836-1847
- Founded the National Era in Washington, 1847 (published Uncle Tom's Cabin serially)
- The Philanthropist (editor, 1836-1843)
- The National Era (editor, 1847-1859)
Family
- wife: Margaret Lucy Shands Bailey
- son: Marcellus Bailey
Ohio places
Where Gamaliel Bailey was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Gamaliel Bailey birth NJ, Cincinnati 1831-47, Philanthropist, press wrecked 3 times, died at sea
