Samuel E. Cornish

American abolitionist, minister, and publisher

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July 20, 2026

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Samuel E. Cornish was a prominent American abolitionist, minister, and publisher. He was instrumental in founding Freedom's Journal in 1827, which was the first newspaper owned and operated by African Americans in the United States. Cornish served as its senior editor, working alongside John Brown Russwurm.

The newspaper aimed to counter racism in the mainstream press and advocate against slavery and colonization. Cornish's editorials were known for their militant tone. He later resigned from Freedom's Journal due to disagreements over colonization and attempted to revive the paper as The Rights of All. Cornish was a key figure among free Black communities in the North who established their own institutions and fought for abolition.12

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Freedom’s Journal
Samuel Cornish, a Presbyterian minister, and John Brown Russwurm, one of the first African Americans to graduate from a U.S. college, were chosen senior editor and junior editor, respectively. The newspaper’s first issue, which was four pages long, appeared on March 16, 1827.
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Samuel Cornish, a Presbyterian minister, and John Brown Russwurm, one of the first African Americans to graduate from a U.S. college, were chosen senior editor and junior editor, respectively. The newspaper’s first issue, which was four pages long, appeared on March 16, 1827.
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