Pistols, Politics and the Press : Dueling in 19th Century American Journalism

This book argues that dueling should be looked at as a fundamental part of the history of journalism. By examining the nineteenth century Code Duello, the accepted standards under which a duel is conducted, the author explores the causes of combative responses involving journalists. Each chapter examines an aspect of the practice from the nineteenth century through the present, including the connections between the ritualized aggression of the past and the feuding among blog journalists today. A comprehensive bibliography as well as an overview of accepted practices under the Code of Honor as faced by nineteenth century journalists are provided. Dueling is a fundamental part of the history of journalism. By examining the 19th century Code Duello, the accepted standards under which a duel could be conducted, the causes of combative responses between journalists are shown. Each chapter examines an aspect of this relationship from the 19th century until the present, including the connections between the ritualized aggression of the 19th century and the feuding amongst blog journalists today. A comprehensive bibliography as well as an overview of accepted practices under the Code of Honor as faced by 19th century journalists are provided McFarland Acknowledgments 7 Table of Contents 8 Preface 10 Introduction 16 1. Honor’s Influence on the Emerging Partisan Press 26 2. The Honor Politics of the Jacksonian Press Network 50 3. Ritual Violence and the Frontier Partisan Press 73 4. The Antebellum Editor, Honor and the Community Dynamic 81 5. Influences of Honor Rituals in the Secession-Era Partisan Press 105 6. The Culture of Honor on Trial During the Civil War 121 7. The Decline of Dueling as a Resolution for Defamation 147 8. Conclusions 163 Appendix 180 Chapter Notes 184 Bibliography 204 Index 212 ISBN-13:,9780786438297 "Dueling is a fundamental part of the history of journalism. By examining the 19th century Code Duello, the accepted standards under which a duel could be conducted, the causes of combative responses between journalists are shown. Each chapter examines an aspect of this relationship from the 19th century until the present"--Provided by publisher.