During the last three decades of the 19th century, the American newspaper completed its evolution from a vehicle of opinion into a medium which emphasized news, human interest and entertainment. This change took newspapers away from politicians and put them in the hands of reporters, editors and columnists. The United States was moving rapidly from an agrarian to an industrial society, its cities were blossoming with a flood of 11 million immigrants and the nation was recovering from the wounds of the Civil War. This volume presents the lives and careers of 44 journalists, active during this era when the population of the United States doubled, the number of daily newspapers increased fourfold and the total circulation increased six times over.
44 entries include: Mary Clemmer Ames, Ambrose Bierce, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Finley Peter Dunne, Eugene Field, Henry W. Grady, Joel Chandler Harris, Bill Nye, Joseph Pulitzer, Jacob Riis, Carl Schurz, Harvey W. Scott and Benjamin Wood.