The Appeal

The Appeal (originally the Western Appeal) was a weekly newspaper published from 1885 to 1923. It was one of the most successful African American newspapers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Founded in St. Paul, Minnesota, it was published in six separate editions in cities across the United States at the height of its popularity. In 1889 the newspaper changed its name to The Appeal to reflect its expanded geographic scope. History Background and foundation In 1885 there were less than 1500 African-American residents in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. African-American newspapers were common at the time, but few of them lasted longer than a year, since they were started for cultural purposes more than commercial ones. There had been many previous African-American newspapers in St. Paul, including one printed in 1876 also named the Western Appeal. It had no affiliation with the paper established in 1885. The Western Appeal was first published on June 5, 1885, in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was started by Samuel E. Hardy and John T. Burgett with Frederick Douglass Parker, who also served as the newspaper's first editor. It was a weekly paper, with an edition each Friday containing news, editorials, advertisements, and a literary page. Subscription rates were affordable, only two dollars a year, but the paper was already struggling financially by the end of 1886.