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HIST 2200: Sharing Stories: Historical US Newspapers

Searching the GSU Library for Historical Newspapers

To see if the GSU Library provides access to a particular periodical (newspaper, magazine, or journal), follow these steps:

  • From the library's homepage, click on Library Catalog under Shortcuts.
  • Click on Advanced Search (to the right of the main search box)
  • Click Title in the dropdown menu under Any field
  • Select Journals in the dropdown under Format
  • Type the periodical title in the search box (selecting starts with instead of contains is a more effective search if you know the periodical's name)

Click to enlarge image.

Using WorldCat to Find Newspapers

Search for an item in libraries near you:
WorldCat.org >>

WorldCat is a database that searches libraries worldwide, including books, audiovisual materials, periodicals (magazines and newspapers), and archival materials. You can request many of the items in WorldCat using Interlibrary Loan.

Use Advanced Search to limit searches by author, title, and/or format.

WorldCat will also indicate if a digital version of the newspaper is available. More often than not, it will be available behind a paywall (and the GSU Library may or may not provide access) and/or only be limited to recent issues. But WorldCat may also link to a freely available version, so it's worth clicking to see whether the digital version is free or not. 

If you are looking for periodicals, look for records including the word "microform" or "microfilm." Most libraries will not lend out bound copies of periodicals, but many will lend microfilm versions.

* * * * *

Requesting Microfilm via Interlibrary Loan

When requesting microform copies through Interlibrary Loan, use the "Book" request option and include periodical title, dates needed, and note that you are requesting microfilm.

Is What You're Looking for Here?

Wikipedia has an extensive list of newspapers available online. Some of them are not freely available (i.e must be paid for), but many of them are. A useful starting point! Click here to see the list.

International Coalition on Newspapers (ICON)

Search the International Coalition on Newspapers (ICON) (a project of the Center for Research Libraries) for digitized international newspapers.

ICON lists newspapers by country and US state.

Local Newspapers

Underground Press Collection

The University of Georgia Library has the Underground Press Collection available on microfilm.

For a list of the titles included in this collection, click here and then click on "1963-1985." You will be asked to sign in, first by selecting "Georgia State University" and then signing in with your Campus ID and password.

You can request reels of this collection via Interlibrary Loan. Request using the "Book" request option. Include:

  • the name of the newspaper
  • dates needed
  • that you are requesting microform (this is important!)

Note: GSU's Digital Collections includes a searchable, digitizezd version of The Great Speckled Bird, a local alternative paper published from 1968-1976.

US Newspapers at GSU

Newspapers and indexes that are available online through the University Library are designated by the name of the database that contains the newspaper/index, for example, "ProQuest Central". To locate and access a database, go to the List of Databases located at http://research.library.gsu.edu/az.php and use the database locator.

Note: this is NOT a comprehensive list of every newspaper held by the GSU Library. Use the "Journals" tab on the library's homepage to search for holdings of a particular newspaper. Keep the "All Journals" button selected—this will tell you if we have the journal in paper or in microfilm.

Indexes & Issues

Time Period Covered Call Number/Location in The University Library
19th Century U.S. Newspapers
(Includes nearly 400 titles; does not include every newspaper published in the 19th century)
1800 - 1899 Online 19th Century U.S. Newspapers
Atlanta Constitution Index
1868 - Present AJC Archives (fees may apply)
1925 - 1954 Microfilm AN2.G4 A726
1971 - 1979 AI21.A87 A86
Reference (LN 1)
1980 - 1982 Printed Cards
Ask at Reference (LN 1)
1982 - Present AI21.A87 A86
Reference (LN 1)
1995 - 2002 Online ProQuest US Newsstream
Atlanta Constitution
1868 - 1984 Online ProQuest Historical Atlanta Constitution
1868 - present AN2.G4 A726
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Atlanta Daily World 1931-1932, 1934-1964, 1970- AN2.G4 A723
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1931 - 2003 Online ProQuest Historical Atlanta Daily World
Atlanta Journal Index 1944 - 1979 Microfiche AI21.A87 (LN 1)
1982 - 2001 AI21.A87 A86
Reference (LN 1)
1995 - 2002 Online ProQuest US Newsstream
Atlanta Journal 1883 - 2001 AN2.G4 A726
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1883 - 1985 Online NewsBank Atlanta Journal-Constitution Historical Archive 1883 - Current
1985 - 2001 Online NewsBank Atlanta Journal-Constitution Historical Archive 1883 - Current
1996 - 2001 Online ProQuest US Newsstream
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(papers merged in 2001)

 

1864 - 1984 Online ProQuest Historical Atlanta Constitution
1985 - present Online NewsBank Atlanta Journal-Constitution Historical Archive 1883 - Current (text)
2001 - present Online ProQuest US Newsstream
2017 - present Online NewsBank Atlanta Journal-Constitution Historical Archive 1883 - Current (color image of newspaper)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Blogs 2008 - Current Online NewsBank Atlanta Journal-Constitution Historical Archive 1883 - Current (text)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Web Edition articles 2013 - Current Online NewsBank Atlanta Journal-Constitution Historical Archive 1883 - Current (text)
Boston Evening Transcript
(Continues Daily Evening Transcript)
1854 - 1861 AN2.M4 B733
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
The Charleston Mercury
(Charleston, SC)
1860 - 1865 Online The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective
The Chicago Defender
Chicago, IL
1910 - 1975 Online ProQuest Historical Chicago Defender
The Christian Recorder
Philadelphia, PA
1861 - 1862 Online African-American Newspapers
The Colored American
(Continues The Weekly Advocate)
New York
1837 - 1841 Online African-American Newspapers
Commercial Appeal
(Memphis, TN)
1894 - 1989 AN2.T2 M43
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Confederate Newspapers
[This collection is a mixture of newspapers published in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama between 1858-1866.]
1858 - 1866 E482.C66
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Daily Evening Transcript
(
Boston, MA; predecessor to Boston Evening Transcript)
1850 - 1853 AN2.M4 B733
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Daily National Intelligencer
(Washington, D.C.)*
*Continues National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser
1813 - 1869 AN2.D6 W44
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Frederick Douglass Paper
Rochester, NY
1851 - 1852 Online African-American Newspapers
Freedom's Journal
(New York)
1827 - 1829 Online African-American Newspapers
The Globe
(Washington, D.C.)
1830 - 1845 AN2.D6 W445
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Harper's Weekly 1857 - 1912

Online HarpWeek

1860 - 1872 AN2.N7 N547
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Los Angeles Times 1972 - 2009 AN2 .C2 L758
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1985-Present Online ProQuest Los Angeles Times
Maryland Gazette 1745 - 1839 AN2.M3 A462
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
The National Era
(Washington, DC)
1847 - 1853 Online African-American Newspapers
National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser*
*Precedes Daily National Intelligencer
1800 - 1812 AN2.D6 W44
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
New York Age  1905 - 1960 AN2.N7 N574
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
New York Daily Tribune
(Includes New York Tribune)
1841 - 1879 AN2.N7 N578
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
The New York Herald 1860 - 1865 Online The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective
The New York Journal*
*Precedes New York Journal and Advertiser
1766 - 1776 AN2.A2 N575
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
New York Journal and Advertiser*
*Continues New York Journal
1897 - 1901 AN2.N7 N576
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
New York Times Index

1981 - present

Article Archive: 1981-present
Sept.1851 -Dec.1980 The New York Times
Article Archive, 1851-1980
1930 - 1944 AI21.N44
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1851-1929
1945-Present
AI21 .N44 (LN 5)
New York Times 1851 - 2014 Online ProQuest Historical New York Times
1857 - 2009 AN2.N7 N573
Newspaper Microfilm (1857-2002 in storage)
1980 - Present Online ProQuest New York Times
New York Tribune 1841 - 1887 AN2.N7 N578
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Niles' Register Index 1811 - 1849 CD-ROM REF. JK6.N53
Reference (LN 2)
Niles' National Register 1837 - 1849 JK6.N5
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Niles' Weekly Register 1811 - 1837 JK6.N5
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
The North Star
(Rochester, NY)
1847 - 1851 Online African-American Newspapers
Pennsylvania Chronicle and Universal Advertiser 1767 - 1774 AN2.A2 P463
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Pennsylvania Gazette 1728 - 1815 CD-ROM AN2.A2 P464
Ask at Reference (LN 2)
1728 - 1800 Online The Pennsylvania Gazette
1731 - 1815 AN2.A2 P464
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Pennsylvania Journal and the Weekly Advertiser 1742 - 1793 AN2.A2 P465
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Philadelphia Gazette and Daily Advertiser*
*(Also called
Federal Gazette)
1788 - 1802 AN2.A2 P4642
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Provincial Freeman
(Chatham, Canada West)
1854 - 1857 Online African-American Newspapers
The Revolution 1868 - 1871 HN51.R5
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Richmond Daily Whig 1860- 1865 AN2.V8 R573
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Richmond Enquirer 1804 - 1867 AN2.V8 R574
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1860 - 1865 Online The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective
Richmond Whig and Advertiser 1835 - 1861, 1865
1868 - 1874
AN2.V8 R579
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Times-Picayune Index
(New Orleans, LA)
1972 -1988 AI21.T66 N49
Reference (LN 1)
Times-Picayune
(New Orleans, LA)
1898-1988 AN2.L8 N48
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1992 - 1996 Online ProQuest US Newsstream
United States Gazette
(Philadelphia, PA)
1794-1795,1800-1818,
1820-1830,1833-1838,
1840 - 1847
AN2.P4 P584
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
United States Telegraph
(Washington, D.C.)
1826 - 1837 AN2.D6 W488
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
The Virginia Gazette Index 1736 - 1780 AI21.V5
(LN 4)
The Virginia Gazette
(Williamsburg, VA)
1736 - 1780 AN2.V8 W584
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Wall Street Journal Index 1955 - Present HG1.W26 (LN 5)
Wall Street Journal 1889 - 2009 HG1.W154
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1979 - Present Online Factiva
1984 - Present Online ProQuest Wall Street Journal
Washington Afro-American and the Washington Tribune 1932 - 1988 AN2.D6 W492
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
Washington Evening Star 1852 - 1981 Online Newsbank Washington Evening Star
Washington Post Index 1979 - 1989 AI 21 .W33 O32 (LN 5)
1971, 1976 - 1978, 1989 - 1999 AI 21 .W33 W36 (LN 5)
Washington Post 1969 - 2009 AN2.D6 W497
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
1987 - Present Online ProQuest Washington Post
Woman's Journal
(Boston, MA)
1870 - 1899 HQ1101.W6
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)
World
(New York)
1895 - 1901 AN2.N7 N579
Newspaper Microfilm (LN 1)

Newspapers and Language Use

When you search in newspaper databases, it's important to keep in mind that there isn't a way to search by subject (or "about" a topic). Instead, you have to think about what words/language would be used in a newspaper article title and/or article text for that time period.

This means that you may well come across language that is uncomfortable or even offensive.

African American Newspapers

James P. Danky, ed., African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography (1998) is a good starting point for identifying titles of historical African-American periodicals.

  • Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988)
  • Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1991)
  • Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005)
  • New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993)
  • Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003)
  • Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001)
  • Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002)

Web collections

Freely available digital newspaper collections.

Foreign and Ethnic Newspapers

Alternative Newspapers

GSU library databases which index a range of alternative newspapers and periodicals.

Local Newspapers: In Other States

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has created the US Newspaper Program for the preservation of local newspapers, state by state.

Scroll through this site to find relevant websites by state.