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Category: Digitized Newspapers

Three mastheads and headlines from the front pages of The Echo, The Daily Bulletin, and the Omaha Guide.

Mary McLeod Bethune: Newspapers and Comic Books

Posted by: Joanna Colclough

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.

How Tragedy Led to Love for John Tyler and Julia Gardiner

Posted by: Heather Thomas

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.

The Gilded Age: Technology & Invention

Posted by: Heather Thomas

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.

Black, white and grayscale illustration of three women standing and two children sitting preparing food. The woman on the left side is mixing batter in a bowl. The woman in the middle is taking a steaming pie out of the oven. The woman on the right side has her back turned and is preparing food at a counter. The text on the bottom of the image says preparedness for the coming feast days.

Historic Holiday Desserts from Around the World

Posted by: Malea Walker

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.

Headshot of Courtney smiling.

Junior Fellow Spotlight: Courtney Murray

Posted by: Malea Walker

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.