The Port Folio

The Port Folio

Cover sheet of an 1804 issue
Editor	Joseph Dennie
Editor	Nicholas Biddle
Editor	John Elihu Hall
Categories	Politics and literature
Frequency	Weekly
Year founded	1800
First issue	January 3, 1801
Country	United States
Based in	Philadelphia

The Port Folio was a Philadelphia literary and political magazine published from 1801 to 1827.

It was first co-published in 1801 by Joseph Dennie and Asbury Dickins. Dickins dropped as co-publisher, and Dennie remained the editor from 1802–1812. Dennie wrote under the pen name of Oliver Oldschool.

Many other contributors to the magazine wrote under pseudonyms, including members of the Federalist Party. Paul Allen (February 15, 1775 – August 18, 1826), a graduate of Brown University, was hired about 1800 as an editor.

In 1808 Dennie lost financial control to the publishers Bradford and Inskeep, although he was kept on as editor at a salary. In 1809 the paper was re-organized as a monthly, and a new prospectus was issued which de-emphasized politics. In 1810 Dennie dropped the Oliver Oldschool pseudonym and wrote under his own name. Dennie died in 1812.

After Dennie's death, Nicholas Biddle, who was already a literary contributor and patron, became editor, but only until 1814. Charles Jared Ingersoll, a non-practicing lawyer, was also a contributor and patron.

From 1816–1827 the editor was John Elihu Hall. The paper had been floundering since Joseph Dennie died in 1812. John Hall, James Hall and Sarah Ewing Hall had all written works for The Port Folio under Dennie, and John Hall continued to rely heavily on James and Sarah while he was editor. However Hall was never able to resurrect the original reputation the journal had, and it folded in 1827.