Library Guides: Virtual Newsrack: Historical Newspapers

Newspapers as Primary Sources

A primary source is an original text, such as a novel, a movie, a diary, or any kind of material that gives you a first-hand account of an event or situation. Newspaper articles can be considered a primary source because they typically tell the story as it happened, without a secondary analysis. Historical newspapers provide a window into the past, where we can read about events that have happened so that we may analyze them with new knowledge.

Historical Issue of Daily Newspapers

Historical Washington Post This link opens in a new window
This database provides full-text and full-image articles from the Washington Post. The collection includes digital reproductions of every page from every issue--cover to cover--in downloadable PDF files from 1877-2006.
Historical New York Times This link opens in a new window
This database provides full-text and full-image articles from the New York Times. The collection includes digital reproductions of every page from every issue--cover to cover--in downloadable PDF files from 1851-2018.
Historical Baltimore Sun This link opens in a new window
Includes complete issues of The Baltimore Sun,cover to cover from 1837 to 1996. Search by keyword, more than 20 article types, date ranges, specific dates, author, and more. View news articles, photos, advertisements, classified ads, obituaries, cartoons, and more for added context. Print and download articles and images in PDF format.
Historical Baltimore Afro-American This link opens in a new window
This historical newspaper provides easily-searchable first-hand accounts and in-depth coverage of the politics, society, and events of the time. Coverage: 1893-1988
Historical Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new window
This database provides full-text and full-image articles from the Wall Street Journal. The collection includes digital reproductions of every page from every issue--cover to cover--in downloadable PDF files from 1889-2010.

Local Historical Newspapers

Historical Easter Shore Newspapers
Made possible, in part, by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, this unique collection includes digitized regional newspapers from 1745 through 1922 and represents the Nabb Center's commitment to preserving, providing access to, and facilitating research on these original resources.
Holly Leaf
The Holly Leaf was the official campus newspaper at Salisbury University from 1926 to 1970. Published monthly, the Holly Leaf printed articles that covered campus events, student life, and opinions throughout the period of time when the school was known as Maryland State Normal School (1925-1935), Maryland State Teachers College (1935-1963), and lastly Salisbury State College (1963-1988).
SSC Informer
The S.S.C. Informer was the official campus newspaper at Salisbury University from 1971 to 1973. Published monthly, the S.S.C. Informer printed articles that covered campus events, student life, and opinions throughout the period of time when the school was known as Salisbury State College (1963-1988).
Chronicling America
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Somerset County Library’s newspapers
The Somerset County Library System has a microfilm collection of local newspapers dating back to 1827. In order to make these records accessible and searchable for teachers, students, researchers, and people living outside our County, the microfilm has been digitized to create an easy to use archive. The Somerset County Library System was awarded a Library Services and Technology Act grant with funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, through the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Library and Development Services (DLDS).

Historical Newspapers

Confederate Newspapers: A Collection from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama This link opens in a new window
This collection is a mixture of issues and papers from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama ranging from 1861-1865. These newspapers "recorded the real and true history of public opinion during the war."
Historical Periodicals Collection (American Antiquarian Society) This link opens in a new window
Now called: American Historical Periodicals (AAS), hosted by Gale.
A collection of periodical archives spanning from 1691 -1902 that presents primary source materials for historical research on advertising, agriculture, business, history, journalism, literature and women’s studies.
American Historical Periodicals (American Antiquarian Society). Formerly called: Historical Periodicals Collection. This link opens in a new window
The collection offers a highly comprehensive documentary history of the American experience spanning four centuries, with multiple perspectives on the thought, culture, and society of North America. The database presents primary source materials on a variety of disciplines including agriculture, business, history, literature, women's studies, fashion and music.
America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search and browse American newspapers published across three centuries