The News Network

"Nowhere in Europe was there anything like this profusion of newspapers and newspaper reading. IN 1775, newspaper ciculation per capita had been greater in England than in AMerica. In 1835, after travels in America, the English writer Richard Cobden pointed out that despite a larger population, the British isles had only 369 newspapers, of which only 17 were daily, while the United States, according to an almanac for 1834, had 1265 newspapers, of which 90 were daily." - Starr, pg 86

America had developed such an intricate network for printing and ciculating newspapers. The demand for the news, and information from around the world was so great. Unfortunatley, the privelage of obtaining the news at your fingertips was restricted to slaves, and in some cases, woman.

Printing flourished in the north, however, the southern and midestern states did not want their slaves to read or have any knowledge of life off of the plantations.

"South had a an extensive postal network, but it imposed censoship on the mails. In July 1835, pro-slavery men invaded the POst Office in Charleston, South Carolina, to confiscate and burn a a mass mailing by northern abolitionists." - Starr, pg108

With all of the potential the news circulation had, censorship still existed do to persecution that still existed within the U.S.