Editing Gamaliel Bailey

{{Short description|American abolitionist and journalist (1807–1859)}}
{{refimprove|date=November 2012}}
[[File:Gamaliel Bailey by Brady, 1857.jpg|thumb|Gamaliel Bailey in 1857]]
'''Gamaliel Bailey''' (December 3, 1807{{spaced ndash}}June 5, 1859) was an American physician who left that career to become an [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] journalist, editor, and publisher, working primarily in [[Cincinnati]], and [[Washington, D.C.]] Anti-abolitionist mobs attacked his offices in both cities during the 1840s.

==Biography==
Born and raised in [[Mount Holly, New Jersey|Mount Holly Township, New Jersey]], in 1807, Bailey moved with his family to [[Philadelphia]] at the age of nine.{{sfn|Folsom|Ogden|1921|page=321}} He was educated at home and in local schools.

Bailey graduated from the [[Thomas Jefferson University#Jefferson Medical College|Jefferson Medical College]], [[Philadelphia]], in 1827. He moved to [[Baltimore]], where he served as editor of the ''Methodist Protestant'', a religious journal.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In 1831, Bailey moved to [[Cincinnati]], where he set up a medical practice. He also lectured on [[physiology]] at the [[Lane Theological Seminary]]. Attending the [[Lane Debates on Slavery]] in February 1834 between pro- and anti-slavery students, he became an ardent abolitionist. The anti-slavery students withdrew from the seminary in protest for its condemnation of [[abolitionism in the United States|abolitionism]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In 1836, Bailey joined [[James G. Birney]] in the editorial control of ''[[The Philanthropist (Cincinnati, Ohio)|The Philanthropist]]'', the official newspaper of the [[Ohio Anti-Slavery Society]]. The following year he succeeded Birney as editor. He directed the paper in publishing anti-slavery articles until 1847, in spite of threats and acts of violence — the printing office of ''The Philanthropist'' was wrecked three times by pro-slavery mobs.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Beginning in 1843, Bailey also edited a daily paper, the ''Herald.'' In 1847, he assumed control of the new abolitionist publication, ''[[The National Era]],'' in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Gamaliel_Bailey|title=Gamaliel Bailey - Ohio History Central|website=www.ohiohistorycentral.org|language=en|access-date=2017-10-13}}</ref> His offices were attacked by pro-slavery mobs; in 1848, he and his printers were under siege for three days as a mob held them hostage. This paper had a considerable circulation nationally. In 1851–1852, it published [[Harriet Beecher Stowe]]'s novel, ''[[Uncle Tom's Cabin]],'' in serial form.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In December 1854, Bailey helped to persuade [[Montgomery Blair]] to represent Dred Scott in his Supreme Court case ''[[pro bono]]'', by agreeing to underwrite his expenses.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Ehrlich|first=Walter|title=They Have No Rights: Dred Scott's Struggle for Freedom|publisher=Greenwood Press|year=1979|isbn=0313208190|location=Westport, Connecticut|pages=91,177}}</ref> By May 11, 1857, the Scott case had incurred $63.18 in court costs and $91.50 for the printing of briefs.<ref name=":0" /> Bailey asked the 75 Republican members of Congress to contribute $2.00 each and covered the rest himself.<ref name=":0" />

In 1859, Bailey died at the age of 51 at sea, aboard the steamship ''Arago'', while en route to Europe.{{sfn|Folsom|Ogden|1921|page=322}} His body was originally buried in [[Congressional Cemetery]] in Washington, D.C. His wife, [[Margaret Lucy Shands Bailey]],<ref name="Coggeshall1860">{{cite book |last1=Coggeshall |first1=William Turner |title=The Poets and Poetry of the West: With Biographical and Critical Notices |date=1860 |publisher=Follett, Foster |isbn=978-0-608-43014-0 |edition=Public domain |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c4ssJ5obTk8C&pg=PA281 |page=281 |access-date=22 August 2021 |language=en |chapter=Margaret L. Bailey}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> died in 1888 and was buried at [[Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)|Oak Hill Cemetery]], across the city. Bailey's son, Marcellus, had his father's remains disinterred and reburied in an unmarked grave next to Margaret.

==Writings==
* {{cite book
|title=Proceedings of the Indiana convention, assembled to organize a state anti-slavery society, held in Milton, Wayne Co., September 12th, 1838
|chapter=G. Bailey's Letter [to the convention of abolitionists]. Published according to order
|location=Cincinnati
|year=1838
|first=Gamaliel
|last=Bailey
|url=https://archive.org/details/ASPC0001892700/page/n11/mode/2up/search/Bailey
|pages=13–16
|author-link=Gamaliel Bailey}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Bailey, Gamaliel|volume=3|page=217}}
*{{cite book|last1=Folsom|first1=Joseph Fulford|last2=Ogden|first2=Mary Depue|title=Cyclopedia of New Jersey Biography, Memorial and Biographical|location=New York|publisher=American Historical Society|date=1921|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6rUNAQAAMAAJ&q=Cyclopedia%20of%20New%20Jersey%20Biography%2C%20Memorial%20and%20Biographical&pg=PP1}}
*{{cite book|last=Harrold|first=Stanley|title=Gamaliel Bailey and Antislavery Union|location=Kent, Ohio|publisher=Kent State University Press|date=1986|isbn=087338329X|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/gamalielbaileyan00harr}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{cite BDA1906 |wstitle= Bailey, Gamaliel |volume= 1 |page=182 |short=1}}
* [http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/pacscl/PRIN_MUDD_C1482 Gamaliel Bailey Correspondence] at the [[Princeton University Library#Special collections|Princeton University Library Special Collections]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Gamaliel}}
[[Category:1807 births]]
[[Category:1859 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century American physicians]]
[[Category:19th-century American newspaper editors]]
[[Category:Abolitionists from Ohio]]
[[Category:American Methodists]]
[[Category:Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)]]
[[Category:Lane Theological Seminary faculty]]
[[Category:Writers from Cincinnati]]
[[Category:People from Mount Holly, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Journalists from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:People who died at sea]]
[[Category:Jefferson Medical College alumni]]
[[Category:Methodist abolitionists]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Cincinnati]]