Media Ethnography – Abolition – Field Notes

Media Ethnography – Abolition – Field Notes
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Media Ethnography – Abolition – Field Notes
“Abolition” is a historical term that has recurred in American politics since the 19th century. Its recurrence is founded on two historical facts – the abolition of slavery and the beginning of the civil rights movement. Essentially, the abolitionist movement commenced in the 1830s. At the time, the founders intended it to be a campaign against slavery and the struggle for equality for all American citizens. Although its beginning was partially established on religious pillars, it eventually became a controversial issue in the political landscape and a major dispute that divided the States. On one side of the debate were supporters who wanted slavery to be abolished, while on the other were critics who supported slavery. A more significant part of the supportive group originated from the North. As a result, most enslaved people attempted to escape from the South. Critics and supporters engaged in confrontations that were sometimes violent and even deadly. Today, abolitionism is still a theme that transpires in the media. In this essay, the author reviews four scenarios where abolitionism has been mentioned in the news media.
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Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1: ( Francis, 2022)
In the featured post, Francis (2020) gives a memorial record of a historical figure who supported the abolitionist movement. Elijah Lovejoy was a Presbyterian minister slain in 1837 by a pro-slavery mob in Illinois. Before his death, he served in a news publication in St. Louis. He had also served in religious duties in New Jersey. However, his link to the abolitionist movement arose from his participation in news publications.
At St Louis, he headed the “St. Louis Observer” newspaper, which was renowned for publishing anti-slavery columns. Denouncing slavery in the 1830s attracted critics and violent mobs. Indeed, it did not take long before Lovejoy began to receive threats. He was menaced, terrorized, and intimidated to stop his quest. Eventually, his printing presses were ransacked and destroyed. Lovejoy was determined to continue the anti-slavery campaign, so he changed his location after witnessing the potential destruction that anti-abolitionists could cause.
After moving his printing press to Alton, Illinois, he continued to write in favor of universal abolition. However, his fate never changed. Pro-slavery mobs repeatedly attacked Lovejoy, and his press was destroyed. The escalation of violence was so intense that a group once tried to set his warehouse on fire. Unfortunately, the confrontation led to his death.
According to Francis (2020), Lovejoy is considered a martyr of the abolitionist movement, and his memory is much alive in the minds of modern supporters of abolition. A colossal monument was erected in Alton for his course and remembrance. Certainly, Lovejoy will forever remain in the minds of abolitionists and Americans who support equality. Writing against abolition was a brave action, and his act is undeniably a valuable historical memory.
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Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 2: (The O...