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Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
The Headlines and Heroes Blog highlights the amazing stories, both real and imaginary, that can be found in the Library's collections of newspapers and comic books.
Chronicling America provides free access to millions of historic American newspaper pages published through 1963. Listed here are topics widely covered in the American press of the time. Each guide contains a brief introduction to the topic, recommended search strategies, and selected articles from Chronicling America meant to jump start your research process. If you have questions or would like to suggest other topics, use the Ask a Librarian contact form.
Two shots in Sarajevo ignited the fires of war and drew Europe toward World War I. This guide provides access to materials related to the "assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
From 1914 to 1918, newspapers publish declarations of war as over 21 countries involve themselves in World War I. This guide provides access to material related to "WWI Declarations" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
A guide for researching the topic of the "Spanish American War," which took place from April 25 until December 10,1898, in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
After the Treaty of Paris, the Phillippine-American War occurred from February 1899 to July 1902. This guide provides access to materials related to the “Philippine-American War” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
On May 18, 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court makes a critical court decision regarding racial segregation in rail cars. This guide provides access to material related to "Plessy v. Ferguson" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
In the 1920s, the flapper craze swept America— women bobbed their hair and danced to the Charleston in short dresses. This guide provides access to materials related to the “Flappers” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
The Titanic was designed to be the most luxurious passenger steamship in the world. This guide provides information for researching the topic of the "building the Titanic" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
This guide provides resources on the topic of the "trial and lynching of Leo Frank" found in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
On August 20, 1920, the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote. This guide provides access to materials related to the “19th Amendment” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
From May 31 to June 1, 1921, Greenwood, a black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is destroyed by white mobs. This guide provides access to material related to the "Tulsa Race Massacre" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
In 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake caused 3,000+ deaths in San Francisco. This guide provides access to materials related to the "1906 San Francisco Earthquake" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
In the late 1800s, comic strips exploded in popularity in American newspapers. This guide provides access to materials related to “Comic Strips” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
The Serial & Government Publications Division maintains one of the most extensive newspaper collections in the world. Beyond its newspaper holdings, the Division also has extensive collections of current periodicals, government publications, and comic books. These collections are accessed in the Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room which is located in Room LM-133 in the James Madison building in Washington, D.C.
