Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) dedicated her whole life to advocating for civil rights, especially the education of youth. You can find her work making headlines in Chronicling America newspapers, as well as her friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and other high profile people of the day. Even some comic books featured her biography.
On the afternoon of February 28, 1844, President John Tyler and roughly 400 guests were enjoying a cruise down the Potomac River on the new US Navy warship USS Princeton, when the mammoth, 13-ton naval gun on board, known as the “Peacemaker,” exploded. The disaster came close to costing the president his life, but instead it led to his marriage.
When the USS Maine mysteriously exploded, the American “yellow press” published outrageous accusations against Spain and demanded war. Read more about the beginnings of yellow journalism and the rivalry between Pulitzer and Hearst that brought their newspapers to print some of the most preposterous pages in journalism history.
Spanning roughly 1870-1900, the Gilded Age was a time of rapid industrialization in the United States. The country was transforming from an agrarian society of farmers and small producers to an industrial economy based in large urban cities. At the same time, there was a burst of innovation in the fields of engineering, science, and technology, which brought about some of the modern era's most innovative inventions. Here is a look at some of those inventions through historical newspapers.
During this time of year there are often hopes and wishes for “peace on earth.” Take a look through our historic newspapers at how leaders of the past have considered peace and what it means.
From the feared fruitcake to the mysterious figgy pudding, the winter holidays are a wonderful time to get creative in the kitchen. It may surprise you to learn that many familiar holiday recipes have traveled several centuries and continents from their origins to end up on our tables. Please enjoy these festive recipes from the past and find more to savor in historic newspapers on Chronicling America.
Marguerite Harrison is a name you might not recognize. Under the guise of a newspaper correspondent, she was an American woman who worked as a spy in Europe and Asia in the years between World War I and World War II. This post illustrates her life in newspapers articles- some penned by her and others about her.
Thanksgiving is the one American holiday defined by its cuisine. Here is a brief history (and recipes!) of some of the dishes that have come to represent a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
This summer, Junior Fellow Courtney Murray researched and wrote essays about African American newspaper titles available in the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers database. In 2021, the Library began to digitize a collection of miscellaneous 19th and early 20th century newspapers from the Black American press. Murray wrote ten well-researched newspaper history essays that represented significant titles from this collection. In this interview, Murray shares her research interests and background, her internship experience, and more about the project.