the new york herald was a daily newspaper based in new york city. the paper was circulated from 1835 to 1924. the first issue of the paper was published by james gordon bennett, sr. on may 6, 1835. by 1845, it was the most popular and most bought daily newspaper in the united states. in 1861, it had sold about 84,000 copies and called itself "the most largely circulated journal in the world." bennett said that the point of newspapers "is not to instruct but to startle."