Henry J. Raymond was a voice of moderation in an era of journalistic sensationalism. A contemporary and rival of James Gordon Bennett and Horace Greeley, he was respected for his clear, concise writing; reasoned thinking; and astute political observation. Although these same attributes of moderation and reasoning hurt him in the political arena, Raymond remained a force in journalism until his death at age forty-nine. Best known as the founder and editor of the New York Times and tireless supporter of the infant Associated Press, he was also an author with a keen interest in literature and the first managing editor of Harper's New Monthly Magazine.

Henry Jarvis Raymond was born in 1820 near Lima, New York, to Jarvis and Lavinia Brockway Raymond, poor farmers with a reputation for industry and thrift. Raymond was the eldest of their six children; he and his brothers, Samuel and James, were the...