North-Carolina Magazine; or, Universal Intelligencer [1]

North-Carolina Magazine; or, Universal Intelligencer

by Edwin H. Mammen, 2006

[2]The North-Carolina Magazine; or, Universal Intelligencer, was the first magazine in North Carolina. It was published by printer [3] James Davis [4] in New Bern during a period when his North-Carolina Gazette [5], the state's first newspaper [6], was suspended. The first issue, dated 1-8 June 1764, was eight pages, printed without column rules and two columns to the page. The magazine was meant to be bound annually; pages were numbered consecutively from the first issue until the last, four years later.

The lack of regular mail [7] greatly limited the amount of news in the North-Carolina Magazine. Instead, it was filled with long extracts from the works of religious writers and historians or selections from British magazines. In the fifth issue, dated 6-13 July 1764, a long history of the Roman Empire was begun and continued through several succeeding installments. A page and a half was given to advertisements, including several offering rewards for the return of runaway slaves and one from Davis presenting for sale a "Collection of All the Acts of Assembly of the Province of North Carolina." A notice to the freeholders of Christ-Church Parish of an election to be held for new vestrymen advised: "There is a fine of Twenty Shillings on every Freeholder in the Parish who fails to attend, and give his vote."

Initially, the price for the magazine was four pence; with the issue of 28 Dec. 1764, the size was reduced to four pages without any change in price. On 27 May 1768 the North-Carolina Magazine was succeeded by another version of the North-Carolina Gazette, James Davis's original imprint.

References:

Clarence S. Brigham, History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820, vol. 2 (1947).

Thad Stem Jr., The Tar Heel Press (1973).

Stephen B. Weeks, The Press of North Carolina [8] (1891).

Additional Resources:

"About The North-Carolina magazine, or, Universal intelligencer" Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sf89099232/ [9].

The North-Carolina Magazine; or, Universal Intelligencer, at the North Carolina State Archives [10].

Image Credits:

The North-Carolina Magazine; or, Universal Intelligencer, New Bern, N.C.: James Davis, July 13-July 20, 1764.

Subjects:

American Revolution (1763-1789) [11]

Literature [12]

Media [13]

UNC Press [14]

Authors:

Mammen, Edwin H. [15]

From:

Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. [16]

1 January 2006 | Mammen, Edwin H.