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HNRS-300 Using historical news

This is a guide to the many different collections of historical news available to AU students.

Newspapers - The First Rough Draft of History

"Newspapers are the first rough draft of history."  

Who said that first?

Historical News Research- Begin with Subject Guides

In the News & Newspapers Subject Guide (link below) click on the "Historical News" tab.

(To view all Subject Guides go to the library's homepage on the right under RESEARCH and click on Subject Guides)

Searching ProQuest Historical Newspapers

Historical files of many major newspapers are available through ProQuest databases. Searching all of the ProQuest Historical Newspapers is a bit awkward.  Here is the best way we've found:

From the library's homepage under RESEARCH ASSISTANCE, click on Databases. Click on "N" and then click on New York Times - Historical.  On the very top left of the screen, you will see a blue bar and a magnifying glass icon.  Click on the link "Searching: 1 database." Scroll down to ProQuest Historical Newspapers.  Check the papers you would like to include in your search.  

Here are your choices as of January 2014:

American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger (1857-1922)‎
Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945)‎
Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003)
The Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988)
Baltimore Sun, The (1837-1992)
‎Chicago Defender (1910-1975)‎  (1910 - 1975)
Chicago Tribune (1849-1990)‎
Los Angeles Times (1881-1990)‎
New York Times (1851-2009)‎
Wall Street Journal (1889-1996)‎
Washington Post (1877-1997)‎

Additional Databases & Websites

Print Reproductions of Historical Newspapers

AU Library has hundreds of facsimile volumes of Radical newspapers published from 1881-1961.  These and other volumes are shelved in our WRLC storage facilty.  They may be requested by using the red REQUEST button on the the WRLC catalog.  The volumes will be sent to the Borrowing Desk.  They may need to be used in the library.

Years of coverage are approximate.

American Appeal 1926-27 

American Socialist 1914-17

American Spectator 1932-34 

Catholic Worker 1933-1961

Champion 1936-1937

Communist 1919-1921

Conscientious Objector 1943-46

Industrial Unionist 1932-34 

Industrial Worker 1909-1911

Labor Action 1940-1958

Militant & New Militant 1928-1936

New Day 1920-1922

New Student  1922-1925

New York Communist 1919

Revolutionary Age 1918-19; 1929-32

Spanish Revolution 1936-38

Socialist 1919

Wilshire's 1904-1909

Weekly Review 1940-1943 (earlier years in storage)

Workers Age 1932-1941

Young Spartacus 1931-1935

Young Worker 1924-1936

Partial List of Additional Volumes in storage at the WRLC Center.  These will be sent on request to the Borrowing Desk.  The volumes must be used in the library.

 

 

 

Abolitionist Newspapers

AU Library has hundreds of facsimile volumes of African American newspapers published between 1840 and 1950.  The Folio (oversized) volumes are shelved in the WRLC offsite storage facility but may be requested by using the red REQUEST button on the WRLC catalog page.

Here are some sample volumes:

National Era 1847 -1860

National Principia 1859-1861

National Anti-Slavery Standard 1840-1870

Historical Newsreels and Television News