The magazine was founded in 1826 by Lydia Maria Child. She supervised its bimonthly publication between September 1826 and August 1834. Child's interest in abolitionism and the publication in 1833 of her antislavery book, "An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans", led to Child being socially shunned. Subscriptions to the magazine dropped off. Child left her editorial position. 