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Before Limbaugh, Beck, Nader, or Olbermann
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The United States has a long tradition of opposition to power. During the Revolution, pamphleteers railed against taxes. In the Early Republic, a newspaper war broke out between competing factions. In the late nineteenth century, a cartoonist battled corruption. In the early twentieth century, muckrakers took up the torch and pushed government action. These partisans were the forerunners of today’s media talking heads and were just as controversial as any blog or talk radio show host.
Thomas Paine emigrated to America in 1774. He was starting life over after leaving his wife and selling all his belongings to avoid debtor’s prison. Paine arrived at the right moment. The American Revolution broke out in 1775 over taxation and the rights of man vs. the rights of government. Paine sided with the revolutionaries. In 1776, he argued forcefully for independence in Common Sense. The pamphlet outlined arguments for independence in simple terms for all to understand. It was written for the masses and not the elites, but reflected elite Enlightenment thinking. Paine became a reporter, philosopher, and best selling author.
Loyalists attacked Paine’s Common Sense. Some claimed it would bring down the monarchy and create democracy. Of course, that was the idea. Many felt the people lacked the ability to make decisions for themselves. The mob would rule. Others attacked Paine directly. He was labeled a quack and other uncomplimentary names.
While Paine dealt with natural law, James Callender dealt with rumor and innuendo. In the 1790s, Callender associated with the Jeffersonian Faction. He attacked George Washington’s Federalist Party with both logic and personal attacks. Callender published the details of the nation’s first sex scandal. Alexander Hamilton engaged in a relationship with a married woman, Maria Reynolds. Mrs. Reynolds’ husband attempted to blackmail Hamilton. Callender also published allegations of financial corruption. Hamilton was innocent of financial misdeeds, but guilty of the affair. The Secretary of Treasury came clean and admitted the affair and told the complete truth. Taken with Callender, Jefferson decided to hire the newspaperman and supported him financially.
After Jefferson’s election, Callender tried blackmailing the president. He wanted to be Postmaster of Richmond and if he did not get the job, Callender would expose Jefferson's dirty secrets. He did not get the job. So, Callender exposed the Sally Hemings Affair. Callender reported details of Jefferson’s affair with his slave. The controversy eventually sputtered out politically, but lives on to this day. His writing on the matter was extremely sensationalized and racist. Although much of Callender’s work was inaccurate, he did manage to expose the nation’s first two sex scandals.
While Paine and Callender used rhetoric, Thomas Nast used drawings. Nast was the political cartoonist that created the Republican Elephant, Democratic Donkey, and even the traditional image of Santa Claus. Despite this, Nast’s greatest contribution to public life came when he brought down the Tweed Ring. Boss Tweed ran New York City’s Tammany Hall. Tammany was a corrupt Democratic Party political institution that rigged elections and ran shakedowns. Nast declared war on Tammany and brought them down with his pictures. His unflattering depictions of the racket turned the public against Tweed and his ring. Despite running New York City and New York State, Tweed was arrested in 1873. The boss fled to Spain, but officials recognized him from a Nast cartoon.
Nast was a cartoonist and not a writer. However, he accomplished what some muckrakers did with expositions. Muckrakers investigate and report government corruption. They achieved prominence during the Progressive Era in the early 20th century. Ira Tarbell published works on Standard Oil and their trust. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle exposed the disgusting conditions in the meat packing industry. Others exposed corruption in Washington, the dangers of coal mining, and other issues. The government responded by attempting to remedy the ills during this period.
Whether it’s political pamphleteers, newspaper editorials, political cartoons, or expose writers, America has a long tradition of battling the powerful. Each generation has its own issues, but styles are familiar. Thomas Paine’s folksy style is similar to Glenn Beck. James Callender’s vitriolic style is similar to Keith Olbermann. The political cartoon is still with us and have provided some with their image of Richard Nixon. Despite being at their height of popularity in the Progressive Era, the greatest muckraker of all is Ralph Nader. All of these people have a right to speak their mind even if others do not like what comes out. They represent opposition to government and the powerful. This tradition goes back to the founding of the country.
