1. Useful Newspaper Databases
19th Century U.S. Newspapers includes
several hundred newspapers from urban and
rural regions throughout the United States.
The searchable database contains digital
facsimile images of newspapers, with
advertisements and illustrations included.
African American Newspapers (1827-1860)
includes searchable text and page images
for seven African-American newspapers of
the antebellum period.
America’s Historical Newspapers (16901922) is a searchable full-text collection of
U.S. newspapers, including Early American
Newspapers series 1-3.
The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective
includes searchable text and page images
from the New York Herald, the Richmond
Enquirer, and the Charleston Mercury,
published between November 1, 1860, and
April 30, 1865, including many battlefield
maps and other illustrations.
Chronicling America: Historic American
Newspapers (1836-1922)
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
includes full-text searching and images from
local newspapers across the United States.
Free from the Library of Congress.
The Olden Times: Historic Newspapers
Online (1788-1920)
http://www.theoldentimes.com/
A personal collection of scanned obituaries,
birth & marriage announcements, etc. from
newspapers in the United States, British Isles
and Australia. Aimed at genealogists, this site
includes a guide to newspaper research.
HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS
Were it left to me to decide
whether we should have a
government without newspapers,
or newspapers without a
government, I should not hesitate
a moment to prefer the latter. -Thomas Jefferson, 1787.

Proquest Historical Newspaper Database
offers full-text, searchable access to articles
from the New York Times (1851-2001), the
Wall Street Journal (1889-1997), the Chicago
Tribune (1890-1984), the Chicago Defender
(1901-1975), the Los Angeles Times (18811985), and the Washington Post (1877-1987).
Small Town Newspapers on the Web
http://smalltownpapers.com/
Over 250 small town newspapers you can
read free. Browse & search scanned
newspaper archives from 1865 up to the
current edition. Dates covered vary widely
according to title.
United States Newspaper Program
http://www.neh.gov/projects/usnp.html
is a cooperative national effort among the
states and the federal government to
microfilm newspapers published in the United
States from the eighteenth century to the
present.
Version 2013 - 1/4/2013 (apb/jlc)
A GUIDE FOR GENEALOGISTS AND
LOCAL HISTORIANS

2. Newspapers and Local History
Newspaper Indexes
Historic Virginia Newspapers
Historical newspapers provide contemporary
sources for births, marriages, and deaths;
personal events such as education, epidemics,
family visits, and military deployments;
official proceedings such as trials and
property transfers; announcements of slave
auctions and escapes; and information on
professions such as farming and other local
businesses.
Most newspapers are not indexed.
The Virginia Gazette is the most famous of the
newspapers in early Virginia. Browse the issues
by date or search the online index (1736-1780)
to the Gazette, at
http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/
BrowseVG.cfm
Use the U.Va. databases at
http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/newspapers or
see the print indexes listed in that guide under
Virginia Newspapers, U.S. Newspapers, and
International Newspapers.
Indexes to Virginia newspapers
There are very few indexes to Virginia
newspapers. No index exists for the
Charlottesville Daily Progress. Though not
comprehensive, the Local History File--a
newspaper clippings file--may serve as a partial
index (1940-1990) to the Daily Progress. Ask at
the Alderman Reference Desk to use this
resource.
Where to Begin?
Research Tips
Do a Journal title search in VIRGO to
search for a specific newspaper title. To
browse titles, search the name of a city and
the word “Newspapers” as a subject. For
example, Charlottesville (Va.) Newspapers.
Access quick lists of newspaper microfilm
titles at U.Va., arranged by state or time
period (or both) by searching under U.S.
Historical Newspapers Database at
http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/newspapers
U.Va.’s newspapers in microfilm are
shelved in Alderman’s East Room, 3rd floor.
Look for the Micfilm N-US call numbers,
arranged alphabetically by state.
The Daily Progress Digital Archive for 18931923 is available at
http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/Daily-ProgressDigital This project has been sponsored by the
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library and the
University of Virginia Library.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is indexed by
the Freeman File, a microfiche index covering
the period from the late 1920s to 1985. It is
listed under Micfilm N-US VA-1 in the
Alderman 3rd floor Microfilm Guides Area.
A card index to the Cavalier Daily (1890-1994)
is located at the back of the Alderman
Reference Room.
See also the Library of Virginia online indexes
to marriage, death, and birth information for
specific Virginia newspapers at
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/news/
index.htm
Newspaper References
Brigham, Clarence S. History and
bibliography of American newspapers, 16901820. American Antiquarian Society, 1947.
(Alderman Reference Z6951 .B86 1947 v. 1-2
+ Additions)
Cappon, Lester Jesse. Virginia newspapers
1821-1935; a bibliography with historical
introduction and notes. New York, AppletonCentury, 1936. (Alderman Reference Z6952
.V8 C24)
Clarke, Gertrude Avis. American newspapers,
1821-1936. New York, H. W. Wilson Co.,
1937. (Alderman Reference Z6945 .A53)
For Reference Help
U.Va. Library newspaper website:
http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/newspapers
Alderman Reference Department:
phone: 434.924.3021
email: library@virginia.edu
Real-Time Reference:
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/askalibrarian/