1878-1879, 1881-1884
The first number of The National American bore the date of September 29, 1878. Augustus C. Appler was its publisher. It was an eight-page, five column “Knownothing” weekly. Later on in the course of its publication it became an organ of the temperance societies. It suspended in 1879 and was revived in 1881. Altogether, it lived some six or seven years, and had a very limited circulation.
(From the Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri by Alexander N. De Menil, 1901).
The National American is a weekly Native American newspaper, established in 1879 by Augustus C. Appler. It was soon suspended, but in January, 1881, was revived. Its platform is as follows: “Native Americans for all offices of honor, profit, or trust within the gift of the American people; an English education of the people at public expense, free from all sectarian bias or control; no union of church and State; all allowed to worship God according to their own conscience.” It is also strongly in favor of the temperance cause.
(From the History of St. Louis City and County by John Thomas Scharf, 1883).
Pro-Prohibition paper. “The leading temperance paper west of the Mississippi River…and is the organ of the W.C.T.U. of St. Louis, the principal temperance organization in this city.” Benjamin Walter, editor/publisher. American Publishing Company. “A family newspaper devoted to prohibition and American rule in America.”
