http://blackhistory.harpweek.com/1Introduction/IntroLevelOne.htm

Once the Civil War began, Harper’s Weekly took a firm Unionist stance and was increasingly supportive of emancipation and black civil rights. Overall, there is a significant and noticeable change in the tenor of the publication from cautious conservatism to the sustained advocacy of reform. That remarkable transition was due primarily to George William Curtis, who wrote the newspaper’s editorials from December 26, 1863, until July 9, 1892. As a prolific writer and lecturer, Curtis was an influential voice for numerous reforms, including abolitionism, black civil rights, women’s rights, civil service reform, and environmental conservation.