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Before the Fire > The
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19th Century Media> Documenting
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Shock
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Cultural and societal
changes were taking place across America; the
borders to the Western frontier closed, the nation
continued its recovery from a devastating civil
war, and the American industrial revolution led
to endless innovations and jobs for the country's
recent influx of immigration. Along with the transformation
of cities came a revolution in media. People now
used newspapers as a resource for vicarious experience.
Established papers grew increasingly troubled
by circulation, due to competition from more sensational
tabloids. According to Alan Trachtenberg, the
founders of metropolitan newspapers redefined
the concept of "news" as "anything
that will make people talk," or more precisely,
"what is original, distinctive, dramatic,
romantic, odd…"
The Vineyard Haven fire was
no exception. Regional media coverage of the event
was reproduced in papers in New Bedford and Boston;
soon after, news of the fire was also picked up
by newspapers in New York. In the days following
the fire, local newspapers kept up a steady stream
of articles and firsthand accounts.
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