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Newspaper Delaware Inquirer (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??

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About Delaware Inquirer (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??

The Delaware Inquirer was a weekly newspaper founded in Wilmington by James Montgomery and housed at 95 Shipley Street. The first issue was published on April 30, 1859, with the motto, “Unity, Equality, Fraternity.” A subscription cost $2 per year.

The Delaware Inquirer was intended to promote the presidential campaign of Stephen Douglas. A staunch Democrat, Montgomery used the newspaper as a forum for criticizing Democrat party leaders opposed to Douglas. Montgomery worked with local Democrats such as Samuel Townsend to support the notion of popular sovereignty on the question of slavery. While personally opposed to slavery, Montgomery did not favor its abolition in the Southern states.

Following the defeat of Douglas by Abraham Lincoln, the Delaware Inquirer became more sympathetic to the Republican cause. While the newspaper opposed secession, it was also critical of Lincoln’s suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. The Inquirer addressed national news and included numerous editorials on national political matters, but it was also committed to supporting the community of Wilmington. Montgomery reported on local court proceedings, current prices for dry goods, births and deaths, as well as other local issues. As the paper gained subscribers, the number of local advertisements increased dramatically.

The Delaware Inquirer continued publication through the end of the Civil War. In 1865, it was taken over by James Riggs who, however, was unsuccessful in maintaining ownership. Within a few months, the paper passed to Caleb Johnson, editor of the Delaware Gazette, and the Delaware Inquirer ceased to exist.

Provided By: University of Delaware Library, Newark, DE

About this Newspaper

Title

  • Delaware Inquirer (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??

Dates of Publication

  • 1859-18??

Created / Published

  • Wilmington, Del. : James Montgomery

Headings

  • -  Wilmington (Del.)--Newspapers
  • -  Delaware--Wilmington
  • -  United States--Delaware--New Castle--Wilmington

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Began with Apr. 30, 1859 issue.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 2 (May 7, 1859).

Medium

  • v.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn88053053

OCLC Number

  • 18243649

ISSN Number

  • 2638-6860

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:

Delaware Inquirer Wilmington, Del. -18??. (Wilmington, DE), Jan. 1 1859. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn88053053/.

APA citation style:

(1859, January 1) Delaware Inquirer Wilmington, Del. -18??. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn88053053/.

MLA citation style:

Delaware Inquirer Wilmington, Del. -18??. (Wilmington, DE) 1 Jan. 1859. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn88053053/.