Until its demise in 1981, The Evening Star was universally regarded as the “paper of record” for the nation’s capital. Published under such titles as Washington Star-News and The Washington Star, this long-running daily afternoon paper was one of the highest profile publications in the nation. Founded in 1852, by the 1930s its coverage of national politics--including the daily activities of every branch of government--made it the nation’s number one paper in advertising revenue.
A fiercely independent voice in Washington
From its earliest years, the Star was a contrarian powerhouse, not afraid to buck Washington’s prevailing political winds. Prior to the Civil War, as abolitionists decried slavery in their own publications, the Star presented both sides of the debate. During the War itself, the Star’s excellent reporting increased its popularity; even today Civil War historians frequently cite Star articles at length. By the mid-20th century—a period marked by McCarthyism, landmark Civil Rights legislation and the beginning of the space race—the Star reached its zenith in local circulation and national influence. Between 1944 and 1981, Star writers, reporters and cartoonists accumulated 10 Pulitzer Prizes.
A wealth of unique insight into American life and times
This digital edition provides a searchable facsimile of every page of every issue of the Star from its founding on December 16, 1852 to the day it ceased publishing on August 7, 1981. Chronicling nearly 130 years of American history, this valuable archive offers significant research opportunities from the Antebellum Period to World War I to the Post-Vietnam Era.
Students and scholars have easy access to fresh perspectives on such topics as the Dred Scott decision, Lincoln assassination, founding of the National Woman Suffrage Association, establishment of the Civil Service, absorption of Georgetown into Washington, Supreme Court ruling of “separate but equal,” entry of American women into public life, Wall Street Crash of 1929, Works Progress Administration, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Truman Doctrine, Cuban Missile Crisis, Watergate Scandal, Iran hostage crisis and more.
A Valuable Digital Edition
This online edition of the Washington Evening Star enables users to easily search and browse this major historical newspaper for the first time. One of the leading titles available individually within the fully integrated America’s Historical Newspapers interface, this digital edition allows users to intuitively view, magnify, print and save page images. In addition to the Cleveland Leader, related collections in this cross-searchable family include Early American Newspapers, American Ethnic Newspapers and others.
