Mr. Freeman is worthy of a more extended notice, but it must be withheld for want of space. The author would like to mention many things which he succeeded in obtaining through his editorial efforts, but must forbear.
The Progressive American was followed by The Commoner, and others equally as prominent. Prof. P. H. Murray published The Colored Citizen, at Washington, D. C. Mr. Murray is the present editor of The St. Louis Advance, and his editorials are always fresh, vigorous, far-seeing, and bristling with argument backed with facts.
From this time to 1880, journals were continually being started, which would require several volumes to mention. Many of them survived but a short time.
This period was one of great political excitement for the Afro-American. The ballot had just been given to him, with which it became possible to place his brother in the Congressional Halls. Publications were started in various localities for the achievement of a certain political end, which having been accomplished, their career would then terminate. This decade was, however, a successful period for Afro-American journalism, which made a great stride, though not equal to that from 1880 to 1890.
In 1870 there were but ten journals published by Afro-Americans in the United States, and in 1880 there were thirty; therefore we perceive there was a gain of twenty in ten years,—the most of these having been started after 1875. This is a good and notable increase, when we remember the lack of literary culture of the Afro-American, his limited knowledge of newspapers, and his want of desire for enlightenment then, and his support of newspapers now.
The following list does not, by any means, comprise the exact number of newspapers published by our people, for some were known only in the immediate vicinity of their publication.
