Agreeable News from Persia: What 18th and early 19th century American newspaper readers knew about contemporary events in Iran
with Daniel T. Potts
Contrary to what most people imagine, 18th and early 19th century newspapers carried a considerable amount of news reports about contemporary events in Iran. In this talk early American newspapers will be surveyed, showing that the demise of the Safavid dynasty, the rise and progress of Nader Shah, successive wars with the Ottomans, the civil strife that led to the emergence of the Zand and Qajar dynasties, the First and Second Russo-Persian Wars, the power struggle following Fath ‘Ali Shah’s death and the activities of American missionaries at Urmia, were all covered in detail. Additionally, articles dealing with non-political Persian topics were published. The transmission of news from Iran, eastern Turkey and the Caucasus was effected via ships’ captains who carried European newspapers to America, a situation that meant news events were reported months after they occurred, and contradictory reports were commonplace. All of this changed with the introduction of the telegraph.
About the speaker:
D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. His most recent books are Persia Portrayed: Envoys to the West, 1600-1842 (Mage, 2022), A Nook in the Temple of Fame: French Military Officers in Persian Service, 1806-1827 (Mage, 2023) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022). He received his AB (1975) and PhD (1980) at Harvard, and is a Consulting Editor for the Encyclopaedia Iranica, a Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute and ISMEO (Associazione Internazionale di Studi sul Mediterraneo e l’Oriente) and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.
On the left: Portrait of Fath Ali Shah Qajar. Mihr ‘Ali, 1815. Brooklyn Museum.
On the top: Mirza Abu’l Hassan Khan. Thomas Lawrence, 1810. Fogg Art Museum.