author
Joshua Leavitt
1794–1873
A minister turned lawyer turned crusading editor, he spent much of his life using print and public argument to fight slavery and push other reforms. His career moved across pulpits, newspapers, and political campaigns, making him a vivid example of 19th-century American activism.
1 Audiobook
Cheap Postage
by Joshua Leavitt
About the author
Born in Heath, Massachusetts, in 1794, Joshua Leavitt graduated from Yale, first practiced law, and then entered the ministry. That unusual path helped shape a life that mixed moral conviction with sharp public debate.
He became best known as an abolitionist writer and editor, using newspapers and pamphlets to argue forcefully against slavery. Leavitt worked on influential reform publications including The Emancipator, and he was also active in other causes such as temperance, cheap postage, and antislavery politics connected with the Liberty Party.
Leavitt died in Brooklyn, New York, in 1873. He is remembered as one of those restless 19th-century reformers who believed the printed word could move public opinion and help change the country.