Joseph Pulitzer essays

Joseph Pulitzer essays Joseph Pulitzer was born on April 10, 1847, in Mako, Hungary. His father was a wealthy grain merchant of Jewish origin. His mother was a devout Roman Catholic of German roots. He had one younger brother, Albert, who trained for the priesthood, but never attained it. Joseph was educated in Budapest, under the training of private tutors and specialized schools. At age 17, Pulitzer attempted to enlist in the Austrian Army, Napoleons Foreign Legion, and the British Army, but was rejected by all three because of his poor eyesight and frail body. In Hamberg, Germany, he encountered a bounty recruiter for the United States army who allowed him to enlist as a substitute for a draftee. He served one year in the Lincoln Calvary during the Civil War. This regiment suited him as it was composed primarily of Germans. Pulitzer still spoke very little English at the time. After his stint as a soldier, Pulitzer traveled to St. Louis, where he worked several odd jobs, including baggage handler, waiter, and muleteer. While working these odd jobs, Pulitzer immersed himself in English and law studies at the Mercantile library. There, he became acquainted with two editors of the leading German-language daily paper, Westliche Post. They offered him a job, and at age 25 he became an editor. Four years later, Pulitzer was the owner of the paper, which after several shrewd business deals became the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That same year, he married Kate Davis, a prominent Washington socialite. Pulitzer revamped the Post-Dispatch, immersing himself in every detail of the paper. He appealed to popular opinion by printing investigative articles exposing corruption, government scandals, and gambling. Shortly after, he acquired The New York World. As he did with the Post-Dispatch, Pulitzer resuscitated the ailing paper, making it the largest circulating newspaper in the country. Pulitzers tireless effort paid off in n...