Elijah Lovejoy
(1802-1837)
WHO HE WAS:
Elijah Parish Lovejoy was an American Presbyterian minister, journalist, and news editor who was a staunch abolitionist. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois, for his anti-slavery editorials. His death at the hands of a mob made him an icon of the abolitionist movement and his life and work highlighted the dangerous divide over slavery in America.
WHAT HE SAID:
"But as long as American blood courses through these veins, I shall hold myself at liberty to speak, to write, and to publish whatever I please on any subject."
WHY HE MATTERED:
Lovejoy became a martyr for the abolitionist cause, his death intensifying the national debate over slavery and inspiring many to take a stronger stance against the institution, including influencing figures like Abraham Lincoln and John Brown.