Horace Greeley

Born in New Hampshire in 1811, Horace Greeley rose from a printer's apprentice to one of the most influential newspaper editors in the United States. He founded the New-York Tribune in 1841, and the paper became famous for its energetic reporting, strong opinions, and wide reach.

Greeley used journalism to push for political and social reform. He opposed slavery, supported a range of causes he believed would improve ordinary life, and played an important part in the early Republican movement. His writing made him a national figure, and his name became closely tied to the restless, argumentative world of American public life before and after the Civil War.

In 1872, he made an unlikely run for the presidency against Ulysses S. Grant. Although he lost, the campaign showed how far his influence had spread beyond the newsroom. He died later that same year, leaving behind a legacy as a journalist who believed newspapers could help steer the country.