A Free Nation, a Free Press:
Changes in Print Journalism in the 19th Century

The United States was the modern world's first democracy, and the notion that any boy could grow up to be president brought a new dimension to motherhood: it became the patriotic duty of mothers to teach their children to be loyal, active American citizens. Consequently, women's education began to improve so that they could assume the responsibility of educating their children.

At the same time, the nation began to industrialize in the early nineteenth century, and small, family run printers and publishers gave way to larger corporate publishers. Growth of the educational system meant that literacy rates also rose, and periodicals flourished. By the 1850s, four-page weeklies and monthly magazines were in full circulation throughout the country.

Publishers appealed to this new readership by deepening their pool of skilled writers in women's magazines and by adding “society pages” in newspapers and “women's sections” in magazines. Furthermore, new opportunities in reporting were sought out by pioneering, bold women, while causes such as abolitionism and women's rights opened new doors for women journalists.