You are here
Horace Greeley Statue, New York City, pre-1911
New York State Archives, NYSA_A3045-78_D47_NE36
Document Description
A statue of Horace Greeley by J.Q.A. Ward located in Printing House Square in New York City. Photograph taken before 1911. The statue stands in front of the New York Tribune, which was founded by Greeley.
Questions
Why would a statue of Horace Greeley be erected outside the "New York Tribune"?
Why was being the editor of an important newspaper during the mid-1800s such an influential job?
What similar qualities does a “good campaigner” have in common with a newspaper editor?
Historical Challenges
Create a Venn diagram identifying the different and similar political views of Grant and Greeley.
What happened to the New York Tribune? Is it still being published?
What happened to the New York Tribune? Is it still being published?
Interdisciplinary Connections
English Language Arts: Choose a topic Greeley wrote about in his newspaper and write a newspaper article expressing your opinion on the topic.
Resources
Satter, James. Journalists Who Made History. Minneapolis: Oliver Press, 1998. ISBN: 881508390
Williams, Robert Chadwell Horace Greeley: Champion of American Freedom. New York: New York University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0814794025
About this Activity
Historical Context
Horace Greeley was born in New Hampshire and moved to New York City as a young man. He worked for the "New Yorker" and in 1841 established the "New York Tribune." He was the editor of this very influential newspaper for over thirty years. Greeley used his position as editor to publish his strong views against alcohol, tobacco, gambling, prostitution, and capital punishment. He also incorporated his political views into the paper, especially the abolition of slavery. In 1860, Greeley supported the presidential campaign of Abraham Lincoln. However, Greeley was unhappy with the way Lincoln dealt with some issues of slavery.
Horace Greeley ran against Ulysses S. Grant in the election of 1872. Greeley proved to be an excellent campaigner but was unable to compete against Grant. Grant won 286 electoral votes to Greeley’s 62. When Grant was reelected, Greeley was very critical of his decisions and actions as president.
Horace Greeley died a few weeks after losing the presidential election.
Essential Question
How do symbols and monuments unite people?
Check for Understanding
Describe the scene in the photograph and explain the purpose of this monument.
