Charles Jacobs Peterson (July 20, 1818 - March 4, 1887) was an American editor, publisher and writer. He worked as an editor at ''

Graham's Magazine ''Graham's Magazine'' was a nineteenth-century periodical based in Philadelphia established by George Rex Graham and published from 1840 to 1858. It was alternatively referred to as ''Graham's Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine'' (1841–1842, and J ...

'', was an owner and partner of ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'', and founded ''

Peterson's Magazine ''Peterson's Magazine'' (1842–1898) was an American magazine focused on women. It was published monthly and based in Philadelphia. In 1842, Charles Jacobs Peterson and George Rex Graham, partners in the ''Saturday Evening Post'', agreed ...

''. He published several fictional and non-fictional history books under his own name and the

Anti-Tom literature Anti-Tom literature consists of the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Also called plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors ...

novel ''

The Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and Masters ''The Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and Masters'' is an 1852 novel by Charles Jacobs Peterson, writing under the pseudonym J. Thornton Randolph. Overview ''The Cabin and Parlor'' is an example of the pro-slavery plantation literature genre ...

'' under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

J. Thornton Randolph. He was a member of the Peterson family of publishers including his cousins

Robert Evans Peterson Robert Evans Peterson (November 12, 1812 – October 30, 1894) was an American book publisher and author. Along with George William Childs, he founded the publishing house of Childs & Peterson. He was a member of the Peterson family of publishers ...

and Henry Peterson.

Early life and education

Peterson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 20, 1819, to Thomas P. Peterson and Elizabeth Snelling Jacobs. He studied law at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

and graduated in 1838. He was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

prior to graduation, but never practiced law.Charles Peterson
, The Beadle and Adams Dime Novel Digitization Project, Retrieved September 14, 2012

Career

He became an owner and partner in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' and editor at ''Graham's Magazine''. At Graham's, he shared an editorial desk with

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, who later included him on a list of "journalistic ninnies". In 1842, he founded ''Ladies' National Magazine'' to compete with the popular '' Godey's Lady Book''. In 1848, the name was changed to ''Peterson's Ladies' National Magazine'' and again to just ''Peterson's Magazine'' from 1858 to 1898. Ann S. Stephens was listed as an editor and contributor but the magazine was primarily run by Peterson. By the 1870s, it had a circulation of 150,000. Peterson edited the magazine until his death.Charles Jacobs Peterson
Edgar Allan Poe Society, Retrieved September 14, 2012 Mott, Frank Luther
A History of American Magazines, 1850-1865, Volume 2
Supplement Sketch 6 (history of magazine) (1938, 1970) He worked as an editorial writer for the

Philadelphia Bulletin The ''Philadelphia Bulletin'' (or ''The Bulletin'' as it was commonly known) was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was ...

starting in 1847. In 1852, Peterson published the novel ''

'' under the pseudonym J. Thornton Randolph, an early example of the

which arose in response to ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

''. It was published by T.B. Peterson, Ltd.; Theophilus B. Peterson was one of Charles' brothers and a leading publisher of cheap and sensational fiction.Tebbel, John Willia
Between covers: The rise and transformation of book publishing in America
p. 71 (1987) He framed the argument that slave owners took a parental responsibility to the slave, whereas commercial interests in the North took advantage of the free negro. It was adapted to a stage performance and was performed at the Richmond Theater in Richmond, Virginia in 1854 and 1861. Peterson was not necessarily defending the institution of slavery, but instead a gradualism for ending of slavery in future instead of a destruction which would fracture the United States. After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

broke out, he sided with the Union. However, he kept politics and any mention of the war out of ''Peterson's Magazine'' since he believed women wanted an escape from the gruesome news of the war. He published other stories and articles under the pseudonym Harry Cavendish and Harry Danforth. He died on March 4, 1887, in Philadelphia and was interred at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery, also called Laurel Hill East to distinguish it from the affiliated West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Bala Cynwyd, is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls, Philadelphia, East Falls neighborhood ...

Personal life

He married Sarah Powell.

Publications

Some were originally published in serial form in ''

'' or ''Peterson's'': * ''Agnes Courtenay'' (1847) * ''The Oath of Marion'' (1847) *
Grace Dudley; or Arnold at Saratoga. An Historical Novel.
', Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson, 1849 *
The Valley Farm. An Autobiography of an Orphan.
', Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson, 1850 *
Cruising in the Last War
', Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson, 1850 * ''

'' (as J. Thornton Randolph) (1852) *
Kate Aylesford. A Story of the Refugees.
', Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson, 1855 *
The Old Stone Mansion
', Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson and Brothers, 1859 * ''Mabel or Darkness at Dawn'' (18??)

Nonfiction

* ''Military Heroes of the Revolution'' (8 volumes) (1847) *
The Military Heroes of the War of 1812: With a Narrative of the War
', Philadelphia: James B. Smith & Co., 1852 * ''Naval Heroes of the United States'' (1850) *
A History of the American Revolution, and Historical Sketches of the Military Heroes of the War of Independence.
', Philadelphia: J. and J. L. Gihon, 1852 *
The American Navy: Being an Authentic History of the United States Navy, and Biographical Sketches of American Naval Heroes, from the Formation of the Navy to the Close of the Mexican War
', Philadelphia: Jas. B. Smith & Co., 1856

References

Citations Sources *

External links

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery image of Charles Jacobs Peterson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Charles Jacobs 1818 births 1887 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American historians 19th-century American male writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers American magazine editors American magazine founders American magazine publishers (people) American male non-fiction writers American naval historians Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Historians from Pennsylvania Pennsylvania lawyers The Saturday Evening Post people University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni Writers from Philadelphia