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Newspaper The Messenger (Georgetown, Del.) 1858-18??

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About The Messenger (Georgetown, Del.) 1858-18??

Founded in Georgetown, Delaware, in February of 1858, the Messenger was a politically independent weekly with the motto “A Family Newspaper Devoted to the Interest of Sussex County.” As the election of 1860 approached and national tensions rose, Delaware was in a unique position as a border slave state, with many citizens in southern Delaware Confederate sympathizers. In fact, Sussex County in which Georgetown is located, was more pro-Southern than any other county in the state, being tied to the South by trade and slavery.

D. Dodd, the editor of the Messenger, made the newspaper’s stance clear in an editorial: “Don’t forsake this glorious Union. Stand by the star spangled banner, and all yet will be well.” In supporting the preservation of the Union, the Messenger also supported its defense against attack from the South. On April 17, 1861, Dodd advocated the hanging of all secessionists in an editorial and was subsequently threatened with mob violence.

In addition to editorials supporting the Union, the Messenger published general state and local news such as sheriff’s sales and farming advice, but little national content was included. The Messenger also included the text of legislative acts passed by Delaware, such as a law passed in April 1863 that prohibited free blacks and free mulattos from entering the state, gaining residence, or meeting in groups.

It is unclear when the Messenger ceased publication, although the paper was published at least through May 1864 with Mather and Company of New York City as publishers.

Provided By: University of Delaware Library, Newark, DE

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Messenger (Georgetown, Del.) 1858-18??

Dates of Publication

  • 1858-18??

Created / Published

  • Georgetown, Del. : D. Dodd

Headings

  • -  Georgetown (Del.)--Newspapers
  • -  Delaware--Georgetown
  • -  United States--Delaware--Sussex--Georgetown

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Began with Feb. 1858 issue.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 48 (Dec. 30, 1858).

Medium

  • volumes : illustrations (chiefly advertisements) ; 58-68 cm

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn84020404

OCLC Number

  • 2624878

ISSN Number

  • 2639-2720

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Messenger Georgetown, Del. -18??. (Georgetown, DE), Jan. 1 1858. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn84020404/.

APA citation style:

(1858, January 1) The Messenger Georgetown, Del. -18??. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn84020404/.

MLA citation style:

The Messenger Georgetown, Del. -18??. (Georgetown, DE) 1 Jan. 1858. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020404/.