Newspapers

Newspapers advertised new shipments of convicts and indentured servants. When the situation became unbearable, some servants and convicts ran away, prompting the publication of descriptions and rewards for returning these runaways.

At the Library of Congress, you can access newspapers through print archives, microfilm, digital collections, and subscription databases. From the comfort of your home or local library, you can explore our online tools, such as Chronicling America to discover thousands of digitized newspapers and the Directory of U.S. Newspapers to locate the physical archives of newspapers that have not yet been scanned. If you can narrow your search to a specific newspaper and date, you can submit a request to the Library of Congress Newspaper and Current Periodicals Division or to Duplication Services to acquire a copy of an issue or article. (A fee may be required.)

Digital Collections

The Library of Congress has digitized hundreds of thousands of historic newspaper titles which are available 24/7 through its website. These collections and directories of resources are listed below.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Chronicling America contains more than 16 million word-searchable newspaper pages from 1777-1963, covering 48 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The headlines, articles, and advertisements capture the life and times of the American people, shining new light on historic events as they unfolded. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Directory of US Newspapers in American Libraries
Use the Directory of US Newspapers to find information about American newspapers published from 1690-present.

To search the Directory, click the "Collection Item" tab and then choose "Advanced Search." Once you generate the search results, click on each entry to learn more. Scroll down to the "Libraries That Have It" tab to discover which repositories house the archives or determine if digital issues are available through Chronicling America.

Subscription Databases

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

Accessible Archives External This link opens in a new window
Contains the full text of primary source material from 18th & 19th century American periodicals and newspapers. Coverage focuses include the American colonial period and the American Revolution, with articles and advertisements relevant to genealogy. Collections include the Pennsylvania Gazette, the Pennsylvania Genealogical Catalogue, South Carolina Newspapers, and the Virginia Gazette
America's Historical Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
Features full-text cover-to-cover reproductions of historic newspapers. Among other areas, the coverage provides insight into the early years of the United States, including the daily life of hundreds of diverse American communities. In addition to American Business: Agricultural Newspapers and American Business: Mercantile Newspapers, described above, collections include:
Early American Newspapers, Series 1, 1690-1876: From Colonies to Nation
Early American Newspapers, Series 2, 1758-1900: The New Republic
Early American Newspapers, Series 3, 1783-1922: From Farm to City
Early American Newspapers, Series 4, 1756-1922: The Rise of Industry
Early American Newspapers, Series 5, 1777-1922: An Emerging World Power
Early American Newspapers, Series 6, 1741-1922: Compromise and Disunion
Early American Newspapers, Series 7: 1773-1922: Reform and Retrenchment
American Business: Agricultural Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
More than 200 historical newspapers covering many aspects of agriculture between 1788 and 1920 agriculture includes material valuable to genealogical research in Early American history, labor history, and ethnic history, among other topics.
American Business: Mercantile Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
Historical newspapers covering many aspects of business between 1783 and 1900 includes material valuable to genealogical research in Early American history, labor history, and ethnic history, among other topics.
British Library Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
Taken directly from the extensive holdings of the British Library, the hundreds of newspapers in this database feature national, regional, and local publications from throughout the British Isles from the 17th to the 20th century.
NewspaperARCHIVE External This link opens in a new window
Features billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, including the British Isles and European countries from which immigrants came to the American colonies in various forms of bondage other than slavery.

Indentured Servants, Apprentices, and Convicts: Finding Family Histories at the Library of Congress

Local History & Genealogy: Ask a Librarian

Newspapers

Digital Collections

Subscription Databases