About

W. A. & C. Thompson published the first issue of the American Democrat on May 17, 1843 in Macon, Georgia. The Democrat offices were originally located at the rear of J. Barnes’ bookstore on Cotton Avenue. The voice of the paper was editor Dr. William Green who was anti-Whig but also sparred with other Democratic Georgia newspapers. The Democrat advocated for John C. Calhoun as president and Levi Woodbury as vice president in the 1845 elections, which put the paper at odds with Democratic newspapers supporting James K. Polk for president. On May 29, 1844, the Democrat found new owners in Thomas S. Reynolds and Marcus A. Johnston. In that issue, former editor Greene wrote a farewell editorial announcing his retirement and Johnston wrote his introductory editorial. The paper originally cost two dollars per year in advance but increased in price by fifty cents after the ownership change. When James K. Polk won the Democratic nomination in 1844, the Democrat changed its endorsement and supported him for president. By June 12, 1844, the paper published out of new offices above the old Darien Bank building on Mulberry Street in Macon. That move proved to be fateful as a fire on August 19, 1844, destroyed the Darien Bank building. The American Democrat never resumed printing after the fire, and the August 14th issue was the paper’s final.