Only a few freethought publications existed when the first issue of The Truth Seeker appeared. In this issue Bennett acknowledged six liberal periodicals with The Investigator at the top of the list.

". . . a candid, fearless end consistent advocate of what it conceives to be vital truth, and intimately connected with the interests of humanity and the affairs of the present life. It is forty-two years of age and has nobly withstood the shafts of malice, bigotry and sectarian intolerance for more than a generation ... Long may it live and flourish... "

The Investigator began in 1831 during a new period of freethought which saw agnosticism replacing deism. The "religion of nature" which had been advocated by many of America's founding fathers and which achieved prominence during the late 18th century was considered too conservative by a new generation of more radical freethinkers.

Among these radical freethinkers was a former Universalist minister and founder of The Boston Investigator, Abner Kneeland. After renouncing Christianity in New York Kneeland moved to Boston where he lectured to The First Society of Free Enquirers. He started The Investigator with the intention of improving the conditions of his fellow man and The Investigator's prospectus stated how its goals would be achieved:

"exposing vice . . . opposing monopolies . . . advocating a general system of education . . . the abolition of slavery . . . the abolishment of imprisonment for debt . . . promote the cause of the laboring and producing classes and advocate the rights of women."

Kneeland's weekly was extremely radical for the 1830s. The editor promoted everything from birth control to homeopathic medicine, regulation of child labor and other progressive reforms. While only 200 copies of the first two issues were printed, by the end of the year the four-page weekly had almost 1,000 subscribers in nine states and Canada.2 Many of the subscribers were living out in the Christian hinterlands and The Investigator became their only forum to share new ideas. Kneeland also published freethought books including Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary with blank pages for readers to record marriages, births and deaths. It soon became the freethinker's family bible. (Bennett's book, World Sages, Infidels and Thinkers would also feature blank pages serving the same purpose decades later.)

Unlike other freethought editors of the time, Kneeland included letters from readers and commented on their style and content. This open-forum approach occurred long before Liberal Leagues and freethinker conventions became popular and provided readers with a sense of solidarity in the pages of "their" Investigator.

In 1834 Kneeland was arrested for blasphemy and spent two months in prison. He soon learned that persecution at the hands of Christian enemies increased the periodical's circulation. Kneeland's written account of his trial, conviction and imprisonment was also popular with his supporters.

Five years later, while the country was going through one of its severest depressions, Kneeland's partner was caught embezzling funds from the Boston First Society. In spite of economic hardship and falling subscriptions, Kneeland managed to continue printing the weekly; however, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail during the summer of 1838. After his release, Kneeland abruptly resigned as editor of The Investigator and moved to Iowa where he stayed for the remainder of his life living in a Utopian colony.

Kneeland entrusted his Investigator to Horace Seaver who had been a printer with the weekly since its inception. Seaver, an abolitionist, had filled in as editor during Kneeland's imprisonment. (After Bennett's death in 1882, Eugene M. Macdonald, The Truth Seeker's printer, would succeed Bennett in the same manner.) Along with Josiah P. Mendum as publisher, the two working - class freethinkers continued Kneeland's mission. Under their stewardship, The Investigator began aggressively promoting labor reform. Together they were more effective in articulating the connection between atheism and social reform than Kneeland. Seaver succeeded in joining forces with the radical labor movement and served as president of The Infidel Association of the United States, which in 1857 held its national convention in Philadelphia.

Freethought's Golden Age
The dawn of freethought's Golden Age began with the introduction of the Darwinian theory of evolution in 1859 giving ammunition to freethinkers who now had scientific evidence to support their attack on the Bible's account of creation. The following year The Boston Investigator optimisticaly predicted:

If the progress of infidelity for the next hundred years was as great as that of the preceding century, infidelity end not Christianity would in an probability be in the ascendancy.3

An individual "voice" who caused freethinkers to be sanguine about the future of infidelity was Robert G. Ingersoll. Although numerous outstanding speakers promoted freethought, none were as brilliant or popular as "The Great Agnostic" whose ability to convert philosophical abstractions of agnosticism into comprehensible terms for both urban freethinker and village infidel was unmatched. Ingersoll believed that his successful lecture-tours during his oratorical peak (1875-95) were made possible by The Boston Investigator

In 1873 The Investigator acknowledged a new freethought monthly:

The Truth Seeker_this is a good name for a new Liberal/ paper just commenced by the Liberal Association of Paris, Illinois. It makes a handsome appearance typographically and contains throughout the right kind of doctrine, as a paper is devoted to science, morals free thought, free enquiry end the diffusion of liberal sentiments . . . This is an excellent platform and The Truth Seeker deserves success and we hope it may receive it. "

The harmonious relationship between the two periodicals did, however, include a few incidents that tested their "unholy alliance." In 1875 The Investigator printed a friendly notice, followed by some comments concerning Bennett's involvement in spiritualism Although a fellowship of sorts existed among infidels and spiritualists, some felt Bennett might be going too far_

The Truth Seeker, our liberal auxiliary of New York, is to be issued weekly in January. It is an able paper, doing good service in the cause of Reason and Humanity, and we are glad to learn its prospects of success are encouraging . . . We see it stated that its worthy Editor has been converted to Spiritualism. He has obtained what he deems convincing evidence of its truth, and, like an honest man, candidly avows it. We shall do the same when we are convinced, for es truth is our object, we gladly accept it from any quarter, end follow wherever it may lead. But at present we are satisfied with Materialism, because we regard it as the only philosophy in accordance with the teachings of nature and reason.

Bennett reprinted the notice and answered the charge.

A Kind Notice from an Honored Source
"The 'conversion' referred to has not been late nor sudden. For several years we have felt that we had received proofs of the existence of an intelligence not connected with physical bodies and the Spiritual theory accounts for it to our mind better than any other. We have not been a persistent investigator of Spiritual phenomena, but we have in several instances received proofs of the continued existence of departed friends that we could not ignore; nor do we think were we imposed upon . . . we are, however, far from accepting all that is presented as Spiritualism, nor do we believe in the honesty of all who claim to be mediums . . . We find ample work here to occupy all our efforts, attention and highest impulses. Our motto is ONE WORLD AT A TIME"

During the centennial year, another rift occurred between the editors that seriously threatened their relationship. It involved the Paine Memorial Hall in Boston and an imbroglio that had the building's trustees disputing ownership of the Temple of Reason. Paine Memorial Hall was intended to be a freethought lecture hall, but instead it also became the offices of The Investigator. Both Seaver and Mendum were trustees and were engaged in a heated debate with trustee Morris Altman. Seaver and Mendum accused Bennett in The Investigator of taking sides by providing his friend and benefactor, Altman, space in The Truth Seeker to state his case. The war of words ended after Altman's untimely death later that year.

All was well between the two publications by the time Bennett became embroiled with his own legal battles. Seaver and Mendum often and aggressively came to the persecuted editor's defense. Numerous times during Bennett's trial and imprisonment they printed scathing articles about their mutual arch-enemy_ Anthony Comstock. Letters Bennett received from Seaver and Mendum after his release from prison expressed the respect they had for their friend .

Horace Seaver wrote:

I congratulate you most sincerely on your release, and sympathize with you in the long, unjust, and cruel punishment you have been doomed to suffer, but I hope it has neither destroyed your health nor impaired your usefulness in our common cause ... I hope to live long enough, friend Bennett, to see you get square on these mean, contemptible fellows, end never let go of them until you teach them to their sorrow the bitter lesson of repentance . . . "

Mendum wrote:

The Liberal public, readers of The Truth Seeker and Investigator, will bear in mind that in your person [Bennett] as well as in that of the first editor of The Investigator, Abner Kneeland, bigots and tyrants aimed a deadly blow at the freedom of the Press!" 4

Bennett's eleven months at hard labor helped to destroy his health. Unfortunately, the embattled editor did not live long enough to "get square" with his persecutors. He did, however, publish details of his trial, conviction and imprisonment and his contribution to freethought was never "impaired."

Horace Seaver, who had been editor of The Boston Investigator for half a century, died in 1889. Both he and J. P. Mendum, who died two years later, devoted their entire lives to human rights and universal mental liberty.

In 1899, with the death of freethought's most popular orator, Robert G. Ingersoll, America's Golden Age of freethought began to fade. Five years later in 1904, another prominent "voice," The Boston Investigator, suspended publication and merged with The Truth Seeker. Together the two represented the left wing of the freethought movement and chronicled its Golden Age. Their "unholy alliance," which began in 1873, continues today.

Footnotes
1. The Encyclopedia of Unbelief, 1985, Vol. 1, pp. 64-65 G. Stein, R. French (Prometheus Books).

2. Ibid, p. 65.

3. American Freethought 1860-1914, Sidney Warren (New York, Gordian Press) p. 189.

4. The Truth Seeker, May 8, 1880, Vol. 7, p. 291.

Rod Bradford writer and videographer is currently researching the life of Truth Seeker founding publisher D M Bennett for a book ok to be pub published in 1998