The Herald of Freedom, Vol. II. no. 8, December 5, 1832 Large format, four-page newspaper called the Herald of Freedom and Gospel Witness, Vol. II, New Series 8, December 5, 1832. First issued on October 19, 1831, the Herald of Freedom newspaper, later renamed the Herald of Freedom and Gospel Witness, was edited, printed, and published by P. T. Barnum during the time he lived in Bethel, Connecticut. At age 21, Barnum decided to start his own weekly newspaper after a Danbury newspaper editor repeatedly refused to publish Barnum's opinions. The masthead design includes an American eagle, and three female figures symbolizing Truth, Justice, and Liberty. Barnum regularly traveled to Hartford, the State Capitol, to gather the latest news. The newspaper contains both original stories and stories copied from other papers, as was usual at the time. Many stories promote the views of Universalists, with whom Barnum was affiliated. The last page typically contains advertisements with small woodcut illustrations, which were stock images used by printers. As the editor, Barnum gave his paper a liberal voice and attracted a liberal readership. He was prosecuted three times under libel laws; in one case he was jailed for sixty days, but a parade was held upon his release. The paper continued under Barnum until November 5, 1834 when his brother-in-law, John W. Amerman, took over. Barnum oversaw the publication of 160 issues of the paper prior to his departure from Bethel, and move to New York City. Amerman later sold the paper to George Taylor, in 1835.
