In the dark of night on June 16, 1775, colonial soldiers worked hard to dig, build and fortify the area around Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill outside of Charlestown, Massachusetts, to prepare for the battle the next day. Read about the Battle of Bunker Hill in newspapers from 1775.
On April 21, 1775, The New-Hampshire Gazette and Historical Chronicle published an article titled “Bloody News,” reporting the first hostilities of what would become the Revolutionary War. On April 19, 1775, British troops fired on the men of the Lexington Company who had already begun to disperse, beginning an unplanned and bloody battle. The descriptions …
This fall, the Serial and Government Publications Division's Archives, History, and Heritage Advanced (AHHA) intern, Jala Robertson, researched and wrote 10 research guides about African American and Hispanic American people and groups using the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers database. Take a look at Robertson's guides on Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, the Tuskegee Airmen and more!
In 1900, L. Frank Baum introduced the world to the Land of Oz. He continued writing many Oz books, taking the story far beyond Dorothy and the Wicked Witch. Many of those stories were printed in the pages of historic newspapers. Have you read them?
This summer, Junior Fellow Zoe Harrison researched and wrote essays about African American newspaper titles available in the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers database. In this interview, Harrison shares her research interests and background, her internship experience, and more about the project, “Researching the Black Press in Chronicling America.”
250 years ago, after the British Parliament passed several retaliatory acts, representatives from the American colonies met in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress to decide how to respond. Would it be battles or boycotts? Colonial newspapers provide a look into this critical time period in our country's history. Read more about it!
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.
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.