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Savannah Daily Republican Newspaper Analysis

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The Savannah Daily Republican newspaper for the months of October and November in 1842 give a snapshot of the main issues and interests of the people in this time frame. The recurring themes center around the economy, sectionalism, and social reforms. The advertisements, local ordinances, and legal notices highlight daily life during this period. As observed in the newspaper and as it is commonly known, the economy of Savannah and of the South, was mainly based on agriculture, primarily cotton, which was supported by the shipping and emerging railroad industries. There are many advertisements in the paper for the employment of ships for ocean and river distribution routes. The port of Savannah was very important in the exportation of cotton …show more content…

Locally, in Savannah, the Sisters of Charity were granted land lots to minister to the sick and poor, and to educate orphans and other children. On the state level, the governor of Georgia, Charles J. McDonald, discusses in his state of the Republic letter how all improvements in society are dependent upon the degree of intelligence that prevails. He states that it is the duty of every state, whose government is based on acknowledging human rights, to have a public institution for education. The governor further discusses how he believes that the funds previously taken away from the University, are being wasted on less important expenditures. He believes that poorer families who are unable to send their children abroad to study will suffer without an adequately funded state University that can provide a finished …show more content…

Usually the local ordinances would be printed more than one day; this was likely so that readers would not miss the important information. One of these ordinances is a perfect example of how life was like for any non-white person, usually Negroes, and the restrictions on what they could do. It was entitled, “An Ordinance for regulating the public Market in the city of Savannah,” and pertained to slaves, free Negroes, mulattoes, and mestizos using a stall and working in the meat market. They could not rent, hire, occupy, or use either by himself, or by or through another person, any stall in the market for the sale of large or small meats. Also, they could not act as a butcher, cut up meat, or sell the meat. There were, however, certain meats that they could sell, and this did not prohibit white butchers from employing slaves. If this were to happen, the person notifying the officials may be able to claim the meats, and the non-white committing the unlawful activity would be subject to fines or whipping, or both at the discretion of the mayor. This was not appealing to

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