George H. Colton

George Colton founded The American Review: A Whig Journal in 1844 as a monthly periodical published by Wiley and Putnam. Colton was a Whig and founded the review to further the Whig Party's political objectives.^[3] The American Review first published in Autumn 1844 but was serialized starting in January 1845.^[4]

In February 1845, Edgar Allan Poe sold his famous poem "The Raven" to Colton's journal after Poe's friend George Rex Graham declined to publish it.^[5] Poe continued to publish his poems and other writings through Colton, including the short stories "Some Words with a Mummy" and "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar".

The literary relationship between Poe and Colton continued when, in May 1846, Poe harshly critiqued Colton's poem "Tecumseh".^[6] Poe called "Tecumseh" "insufferably tedious", however, Poe offered a shining review of Colton's American Review in the same breadth.^[6]

In the January 1847 edition of The American Review, one of his last, Colton sharply criticized President James K. Polk over the Mexican–American War.^[7] Colton, previously supportive of President Polk, turned against his administration, declaring "[W]e are sick of following the president through the sort of defence he has ventured to set up for invading Mexico."^[8]

George Hooker Colton died December 1, 1847, remaining The American Review's "able editor" until death.^[1][2] Colton's death was announced in the subsequent edition of The American Review, where longtime colleague James Davenport Whelpley pledged to succeed Colton.^[9]