John Adams Knight John Adams Knight, a Northern American, lived
in the British capital before the war and in May 1860 created
the weekly London American, for which he served as editor. The
newspaper focused on transatlantic trade, industrial patents and
inventions, as well as providing US news for Americans living in
London. Not until the Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter
did Knight’s journal adopt a hostile, anti-Southern tone, and
The London American was from that point strictly a medium for
Northern propaganda. Surprisingly, the newspaper frequently
attacked the British monarchy, established church, system of
government, and the aristocracy. Unlike its Confederate
counterpart Index’s ties to Richmond, Knight’s journal was not a
tool of the Washington government and received no financial
backing from the Lincoln administration, although his staff
consisted entirely of Americans.