As the first draft of history, American newspapers have preserved essential records and everyday accounts of the people, issues, and events that shaped the nation for hundreds of years.
From the late 17th century to the end of the eighteenth, most American newspapers were published by small-town printers and reflected the interests and values of the communities they served. As the country grew and changed through the 1800s, so too did its newspapers. During this period, the number of new titles rose dramatically, and newspapers were transformed by an increasing emphasis on society, industry, scientific advances, investigative journalism, and human-interest stories. By the early 20th century, nearly every town in the United States had its own newspaper.
Multiple series, thousands of titles, all on a single platform
For searching and browsing American newspapers from four centuries, America’s Historical Newspapers is the most comprehensive digital resource of its kind. It offers access to thousands of titles sourced from all 50 states and is constantly growing with newly sourced content. The newspapers in America’s Historical Newspapers provide eyewitness reporting, editorials, letters, advertisements, obituaries, and much more. Together, they are an indispensable chronicle of the evolution of American culture and daily life from 1690 to the recent past.
Early American Newspapers, 1690-1922—the foundation of America’s Historical Newspapers—is the most comprehensive collection anywhere for exploring the American past. Easily tailored to meet the needs of your institution’s students, researchers, and faculty, Early American Newspapers can be acquired by series, by place of publication, by era, and by decade.
American Ethnic Newspapers contains several distinct collections and is an essential complement to Early American Newspapers.
- African American Newspapers: By Series, 1827-1998
- Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980
- Ethnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971
Subject-specific newspaper collections
- American Business: Agricultural Newspapers
- American Business: Mercantile Newspapers
- American Gazettes: Newspapers of Record
- American Politics: Campaign Newspapers
- American Religion: Denominational Newspapers
- American Underworld: The Flash Press
Individual newspaper titles
- Washington Evening Star (1852-1981)—the newspaper of record for the nation’s capital
- Cleveland Leader (1854-1913)
From the leading newspaper repositories
The collections that comprise America’s Historical Newspapers are created through partnerships with the American Antiquarian Society, the Library of Congress, the Wisconsin Historical Society and more than 90 other institutions. A distinguished academic advisory board guides the title selection process.
