[Rarebooks] FS: The First Newspaper For Women's Rights and The First Feminist Journal Published West Of The Mississippi
Charles Agvent
charles at charlesagvent.com
Tue Mar 22 12:42:30 EDT 2022
DAMON, Samuel C., Seamen's Chaplain (Editor). THE FRIEND. A SEMI-MONTHLY
JOURNAL, DEVOTED TO TEMPERANCE, MARINE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
containing within the only issue published of THE FOLIO, The First
Newspaper For Women's Rights. Honolulu, Oahu, HI: Polynesian Press; New
Era and Argus Office, 1855-1856. First Edition. New Series Volume IV,
Numbers I - 12 and Volume V, Numbers 1 - 10; Old Series, Volumes XII and
XIII. Quarto (9-1/8" x 11-5/8") bound in recent calf-backed marbled
boards; 92, 4, 80 pages. Despite the sub-title, the journal was issued
monthly. It includes much material of historical interest including the
funeral of Kamehameha III and inauguration of Kamehameha IV, the
annexation of the Sandwich Islands, the Chinese in the Sandwich Islands,
and numerous pieces about temperance, whaling, shipwrecks, and even an
interesting paragraph on photography. Tucked within all of this is the
only issue published of THE FOLIO, The First Newspaper For Women's
Rights and The First Feminist Journal Published West Of The Mississippi.
According to an article in THE HAWAIIAN JOURNAL OF HISTORY (Volume XIX,
1985)---"The Folio of 1855--A Plea for Women's Rights," by Helen G.
Chapin and David W. Forbes---the issue "is a blend of older, more
conventional sentiments of women's natural superiority with more radical
and newer ideas--in other words, double messages by which women and men
intellectually and emotionally encompass ambiguities. Nevertheless, the
total effect is one of a vigorous feminism." The first words of the
paper are based on the Declaration of Sentiments of the Seneca Falls
women's rights statement: "When, in the course of human events, it
becomes necessary for a person or class of persons to sever the ties
with which nature or society has bound them to a certain position or
line of conduct.... We hold it to be a self-evident fact, that man
[italics] is possessed of certain inalienable rights, and in the
beginning, we declare ourselves free and independent of any disposition
to invade those rights." The tone then softens a bit and the manifesto
declares that women will claim their rights "not with tongue or sword,
but pen." The articles in THE FOLIO were anonymously written, but
research indicates that the authors were likely Julia Damon, the Rev.
Damon's wife, and Catherine Whitney, wife of Henry Whitney, editor of
the PACIFIC COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER. The articles within include verses,
prayers, and stories about superior women who were wives and
mothers--even one who saved a ship at sea when her husband the captain
suddenly became ill. In one piece the author wittily warns men about the
volcanic fires of Mauna Loa avenging women. Light and occasional
browning and foxing. Near Fine and quite scarce.
This single-issue newspaper was originally designed as a handout for a
fair sponsored by the "Ladies of the Protestant Mission" and was
subsequently reprinted and distributed to subscribers of the FRIEND in
its next issue, with a circulation of about 1000 copies, as represented
here. No example of the original handout is known to have survived.
Another 25 years passed before a women's newspaper appeared again in
Hawaii, and it too was a single issue only and was both more
conventional and less interesting than its forerunner. An argument can
be made that THE FOLIO is the very first newspaper dedicated to women's
rights published anywhere as Amelia Bloomer's THE LILY, which was first
published in 1849, began as a temperance journal and only later began
including articles on women's rights. (#016115) $12,500
https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/016115/samuel-c-damon-seamens-chaplain/the-friend-a-semi-monthly-journal-devoted-to-temperance-marine-and-general-intelligence
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