First to Fall: Elijah Lovejoy and the Fight for a Free Press in the Age of Slavery

by Ken Ellingwood

Overview

A vividly told tale of a forgotten American hero—an impassioned newsman who fought for the right to speak out against slavery.

The history of the fight for free press has never been more vital in our own time, when journalists are targeted as “enemies of the people.” In this brilliant and rigorously researched history, award-winning journalist and author Ken Ellingwood animates the life and times of abolitionist newspaper editor Elijah Lovejoy.

First to Fall illuminates this flawed yet heroic figure who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for free press rights in a time when the First Amendment offered little protection for those who dared to critique America’s “peculiar institution.”

Culminating in Lovejoy’s dramatic clashes with the pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois—who were destroying printing press after printing press—First to Fall will bring Lovejoy, his supporters and his enemies to life during the raucous 1830s at the edge of slave country. It was a bloody period of innovation, conflict, violent politics, and painful soul-searching over pivotal issues of morality and justice.

In the tradition of books like The Arc of Justice, First to Fall elevates a compelling, socially urgent narrative that has never received the attention it deserves. The book will aim to do no less than rescue Lovejoy from the footnotes of history and restore him as a martyr whose death was not only a catalyst for widespread abolitionist action, but also inaugurated the movement toward the free press protections we cherish so dearly today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643137025
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

An award-winning journalist, Ken Ellingwood has been posted in the San Diego, Mexico City, Jerusalem, and Atlanta bureaus of the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of the critically acclaimed (and prescient) work of investigative journalism Hard Line: Life and Death on the U.S.-Mexico Border. He currently lives in Abu Dhabi.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 Where the Evil Existed 1

Chapter 2 A Land of Strangers 13

Chapter 3 Brethren 29

Chapter 4 The Only Weapon 39

Chapter 5 Nothing but a Newspaper 49

Chapter 6 To The West 59

Chapter 7 The Ashes of McIntosh 71

Chapter 8 A Judge Named Lawless 95

Chapter 9 Mr. Birney Frees His Slaves 111

Chapter 10 Incendiary Missiles 125

Chapter 11 The South Builds a Barricade 149

Chapter 12 A Right to Interfere 169

Chapter 13 The Odious Doctrines of Elijah Lovejoy 183

Chapter 14 A Band of Lawless Men 199

Chapter 15 The Wise and Good 215

Chapter 16 Effects Most Happy 229

Chapter 17 No Right to Be Neutral 245

Chapter 18 A Train of Mournful Consequences 259

Chapter 19 Tin Horns and Torches 269

Chapter 20 A Martyr in the Cause 283

Epilogue 299

Postscript 305

Acknowledgments 307

Bibliography 311

Notes 319

Index 343

Editorial Reviews

"First to Fall is not just a rich and well told tale; it’s a genetic test for modern journalism, an exploration of foundational American principles— the power of individuals, the fearless defense of a free press, and the deeper values of equality, justice and truth-telling at any cost. The story of Lovejoy’s martyrdom rhymes with the risks of reporters now facing rubber bullets and death threats. Fascinating in its own right, this history is also a bracing parable for our times."

Nancy Gibbs

A penetrating look into a brutal era in American life, and one man who paid the greatest penalty for standing up for freedom of expression. Ken Ellingwood digs into a nearly forgotten time when mobs ran rampant, pistol duels settled arguments, drinking and gambling were national pastimes, and abolitionists were treated as public enemies. Elijah Lovejoy emerged from this perilous world to publish truth to power, at a time when journalism 'often seemed more combat than craft,' and voicing the wrong opinion could literally cost you your life. This is both a compelling, richly detailed biography of a pioneer publisher and a startling portrait of America rife with racial injustice — an upside-down world where calling slavery sinful could incite mass violence, even in a so-called free state like Illinois. That a man like Lovejoy could stand up to such forces, at great risk to his life and career, still resounds almost 180 years later as a valuable lesson in moral courage and the power of the First Amendment — and a story that any reader of history will find captivating and inspiring.”

J.D. Dickey

"First to Fall is an ode to courageous journalism – a timely reminder of the painstaking pursuit of truth and the ultimate sacrifice to secure a healthy democracy. The epic, tragic story is about Elijah Lovejoy, a tantalizing figure and the first American journalist killed for his work. Ellingwood delivers a crisp, punchy, page-turner, backed by meticulous reporting. First to Fall is a superb, illuminating read—at an urgent time."

Alfredo Corchado

A penetrating look into a brutal era in American life, and one man who paid the greatest penalty for standing up for freedom of expression. Ken Ellingwood digs into a nearly forgotten time when mobs ran rampant, pistol duels settled arguments, drinking and gambling were national pastimes, and abolitionists were treated as public enemies. Elijah Lovejoy emerged from this perilous world to publish truth to power, at a time when journalism 'often seemed more combat than craft,' and voicing the wrong opinion could literally cost you your life. This is both a compelling, richly detailed biography of a pioneer publisher and a startling portrait of America rife with racial injustice — an upside-down world where calling slavery sinful could incite mass violence, even in a so-called free state like Illinois. That a man like Lovejoy could stand up to such forces, at great risk to his life and career, still resounds almost 180 years later as a valuable lesson in moral courage and the power of the First Amendment — and a story that any reader of history will find captivating and inspiring.”

.D. Dickey

★ 2021-02-17
The short, eventful life of a bold agitator against slavery.

Drawing on rich historical sources, journalist Ellingwood effectively conveys the brutal reality of pre–Civil War America, when champions of slavery, anti-slavery activists, and abolitionists clashed violently. The central character in this vibrant history is Elijah Lovejoy (1802-1837), a Presbyterian minister, newspaper editor, and temperance crusader whose relentless stance against slavery cost him his life. At first, Lovejoy distanced himself from abolitionists, widely denigrated as “madmen and insurrectionists.” Rather, he took the view that slavery should be eradicated gradually, and he backed “colonization as the best solution to the young country’s racial conundrum.” However, owning newspapers in St. Louis and Alton, Illinois, made him increasingly aware of rampant barbarity. Slavery was a sin, he declared, a stance that put him in the crosshairs of those who viciously opposed him: He was threatened with being tarred and feathered; his offices were vandalized; his printing presses were repeatedly destroyed. Pressured to go silent on the issue, he became emboldened. “I have sworn eternal opposition to Slavery,” he wrote, “and, by the blessing of God, I will never go back.” Ellingwood also follows the fortunes of other editors, including James Birney, “a son of the South, a man bred to privilege amid the slavery system,” who freed the handful of slaves he owned and unapologetically declared himself an abolitionist. Both men faced restrictions on freedom of the press. States could defend the First Amendment—or not; Southern and border states preferred not. Lovejoy proceeded bravely even in the face of mounting violence. At home, he and his brothers slept with loaded muskets next to their beds. In the end, though, he fell victim to an armed, drunken mob that stormed a warehouse where he and others guarded a new press. He became a martyr to the cause of justice, and Ellingwood clearly demonstrates his important contributions to the anti-slavery movement.

A lucid and dramatic portrait of a tormented nation.

Kirkus Reviews

"Anyone who cares about press freedom should read First to Fall, which tells the unforgettable story of Elijah Lovejoy, a 19th century journalist who fought to end slavery and was killed for expressing his abolitionist views. In the aftermath of his 1837 murder, some of America’s leading lights spoke out and proclaimed that violence and intimidation should never again be allowed to set the parameters of public debate. First to Fall is a gripping historical account with a lesson for our time."

Joel Simon

Award-winning journalist Ellingwood's solid biography of this abolitionist newspaper editor whose convictions cost him his life reminds us of the crucial role the press plays in our democracy and how extreme views and the mob violence they stoke must be countered with facts, courage, and justice.

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