Committee:

Sean Wilentz, adviser
Peter Wirzbicki
Matthew Karp
Eric Slauter, University of Chicago

Abstract:

The Reverend George Bourne (1780–1845) devoted his life to two divisive causes: abolishing slavery and halting the spread of Catholicism in America. Although largely forgotten today, he made history in both arenas. As an antislavery advocate, he authored the first American book promoting immediate abolition. He helped found the American Anti-Slavery Society and spent half a year as the ghost editor of Garrison’s famous Liberator newspaper. As an anti-Catholic nativist, he published Lorette, the nation’s first anticonvent exposé. He also founded America’s first anti-Catholic newspaper, The Protestant, and held the copyright to The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, a notorious convent tale that, until Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was the best-selling book in American history. If for nothing else than these “firsts”—within one movement that was historically righteous and another that produced historical disgrace—Bourne’s career is worth examination. This dissertation traces Bourne’s life and offers a framework for understanding the mechanisms of antebellum advocacy. Through lecturing, pamphleteering, publishing books, and developing a few key alliances, Bourne advanced his vision for reform and left a complex legacy.

A copy of the dissertation will be available for review two weeks before the exam. Contact Lee Horinko for a copy of the dissertation and the Zoom meeting link and password.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend.