Elijah Lovejoy
Elijah Lovejoy
Born in 1802 on the 9th of November. Died on the 7th of November in 1837 at the age of 34. He founded the Alton Observer. He was killed when a pro slavery mob attacked the warehouse where his fourth printing press was hidden. When the mob spotted him and they shot a shotgun at him and he was hit by five Slugs (shotgun bullets) and died immediately.
By Elijah Lovejoy
Elijah Lovejoy is famous for being the first Martyr of the abolitionist movement. Due to the tesions at the time of his death, he is also called the first death of the civil war. The newspapers in Alton were afraid to print that he had died even though other newspapers declared that he was murdered. From the time of his death to 1860 he was buried in a unmarked grave. He is also known because he died defending the freedom of the press.