The Press. A review of Chapter 11 of the JM Peck book

"Religious journalism was the means Peck used 'to diffuse more equally, and sustain more constantly, and quicken more energetically, and defend resolutely and wisely all' his strategies for propagating the gospel. An article in the first issue of THE PIONEER, Of the Valley of the Mississippi (Rock Spring, Illinois), April 24, 1829, entitled 'the Power of the Press,' pointed out improvements in printing and economics since the Middle Ages, and the possibilities for the present. Peck’s conclusion was, 'Woe be to us if, with such a power placed in our hands, we fail to improve it.' Peck recognized the power of the press beginning with the Gutenberg Bible (1456). The press was the media of Peck’s time. However, many of the religious newspapers were private enterprises, difficult to sustain financially, and often short lived. Peck was no exception. He struggled to keep his religious journals solvent, using much of his own finances to do so."

This excerpt from Chapter 11 of John Mason and Sarah Paine Peck: Missionaries Extraordinaire, by Myron Dillow, discusses Peck's creation and use of the newspaper, The Pioneer.

Lord willing, the book will be released by the end of the month - stay tuned!

Picture is of the header of the first issue of The Pioneer (April 29, 1829), courtesy Mercantile Library, St. Louis University Collection.