Union and American Archive

In 1875, the Greeneville (Tennessee) American merged with the National Union to form the Greeneville Union and American. At first, the new weekly Democratic paper’s proprietor was listed as the Union and American Company, its editors Henry V. Sevier and Tom A. Baker, and William H. Brininstool, the manager. The three men were formerly publishers of the Greeneville American and National Union, respectively. In January 1876, Sevier and Baker became the proprietors of the Greeneville Union and American, and in March 1876, Brininstool became the paper’s sole editor and proprietor.

Each week, beginning in November 1875, the Union and American printed a double-column, page-length ‘prospectus’ proclaiming itself to be the “largest weekly newspaper in East Tennessee” with “4 pages! 36 columns!” (later increased to “8 pages! 48 columns!”). The paper promised to deliver a weekly menu of news, literature, and humorous sketches including features such as agricultural articles, short stories, and an education department, as well as special columns on husbandry, housekeeping, and the latest in ladies’ fashions. State news and market reports were also printed. Local coverage focused on items such as the law enforcement’s efforts to eradicate illegal distilleries and floods which threatened farmers’ crops. At least two front-page columns were often devoted to women’s issues including marriage, the proper behavior of young ladies, and occupational concerns. On November 10, 1875, the writer of the “About Women” column praised the state of Tennessee for passing a law that made it illegal to “pay any teacher less money than another on the ground of sex alone.”

The Union and American’s Democratic bias was evident in its vehement criticism of Reconstruction. In the November 24, 1875 issue, the paper argued that Reconstruction was just a tool for capitalists and northerners to steal the riches of the southern “promised land.” Editorials sang the praises of Democratic politicians and denounced Republicans, both in Tennessee and other states.

The Union and American’s pages were heavy with advertisements, sometimes covering half the page. Typical of the time, for instance, local lawyers purchased ads to promote services or to ask for payment from delinquent clients. The paper also carried ads for local general stores, physicians, and druggists, as well as for out-of- town businesses. Poor typesetting skills were evident in the local ads, which had many typographical errors. The newspaper also appeared to suffer from a shortage of type itself: various typefaces or fonts were used within the same word.

In July 1877, the Union and American merged with the Greeneville Intelligencer to form the Union, which Brininstool continued to publish and edit.