The Biographical Dictionary of America/Bailey, Gamaliel

BAILEY, Gamaliel, abolitionist, was born in Mount Holly. N.J., Dec. 3, 1807. He was graduated in medicine in 1828, served as ship's doctor on a voyage to China and engaged in newspaper work on the Methodist Protestant at Baltimore, Md. He was a hospital .surgeon at Cincinnati, Ohio, during the cholera outbreak in 1831, where he became an abolitionist and sympathized with the anti-slavery agitation among the students of Lane seminary, which resulted in the resignation of Lyman Beecher and many students, and the founding of Oberlin college. In 1836 in connection with James G. Birney, he established the Cincinnati Philanthropist, to advocate unconditional emancipation. Of this journal he became chief editor. It was the earliest anti-slavery organ in the west, and was regularly issued every week for seven years, although on three distinct occasions its office was raided by a mob, and its type and material were scattered or destroyed. In 1846 he was selected by the American anti-slavery society to conduct the National Era, a new abolition organ issued in Washington, D. C. In the management of this journal he showed rare editorial ability; and he was zealously seconded by the ablest writers in the anti- slavery ranks, among whom was Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was first published in the National Era. The journal attained a wide circulation, and had a prosperous career, though its office was several times threatened with destruction. In 1848 it was for three days besieged by a mob, which was only finally dispersed by the remarkable coolness and address of Mr. Bailey. He died before he could see the consummation of the great agitation he had been, largely instrumental in arousing. His death occurred at sea, June 5, 1859.