Newspapers & Other News Media

Historically, newspapers were founded in response to changing migration, revolution, colonialism, or other period-specific events. This page highlights  newspapers and news resources by era, focusing mostly on the United States. For international era-specific news, begin your search in the country, or one of the countries, of that event. 

To search for newspapers by time period, begin by identifying the newspaper title(s) or databases that will cover the area and/or time period you're interested in. You can: 

• consult a research guide with state or topic specific information 
  • web search for: research guide newspapers 'topic/event/area/country'
  • start with the Library of Congress' Newspapers Research Guides: search by topic within the guides for era-specific tips
• check with the state library for the state you're researching
• ask a subject librarian
• search in Virgo
  • add keywords like country or city, filter by years, etc

Pamphlets

In the colonial era, pamphlets were the most common news format. Find colonial primary sources, including pamphlets: 

Newspapers were also published in the colonial period: 

United States

Virginia

The Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) 

• Published weekly in colonial Williamsburg, 1736-1780. News covered all Virginia and some information for other colonies and England. Use the The Virginia Gazette Index available online from Colonial Williamsburg to discover content by topic, individual, place, etc. This can help determine word choice, search terms, or topics of interest. 

Civil War

• Valley of the Shadow (1859-1870): This award-winning site provides articles from two Virginia and two Pennsylvania Civil War and Reconstruction-era newspapers (1859-1870).

World War II: Japanese-American Internment Camp Newspapers

• Library of Congress Collection: Japanese-American Internment Camp Newspapers, 1942 to 1946

Vietnam War and Anti-War Protest Newspapers

• Antiwar newspapers were published by both those who had served in the military and other antiwar activists:

  • University of Washington: Mapping American Social Movements Project: Underground GI Newspapers, 1965-1975
  • University of Washington: Antiwar and Radical History Project: Antiwar GI Newspapers, 1969-1973

• GI underground press newspapers were printed by those serving or who had served in the military, either in the US or abroad: 

  • List of GI Underground Press Newspapers, 1968-1976
  • JSTOR: Independent Voices: GI Press Project Collection, 1964-1977