Our History in the Headlines: America’s Story in Newspapers

The following is a guest post by Hannah Nichols, a reference librarian in the Serial and Government Publications Division.

The Library of Congress collections include thousands of historic newspaper issues that document the early days of America from the fascinating perspectives of colonial thinkers, writers, printers, and citizens. In celebration of America’s 250^th birthday, historic newspaper issues reflecting this moment in time will be on display. Read on for a glimpse of some of our favorites and to learn how you can see them in person!

“AFTER an unequivocal experience of the inefficacy of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America. The subject speaks its own importance; comprehending in its consequences, nothing less than the existence of the UNION, the safety and welfare of the parts of which it is composed, the fate of an empire, in many respects, the most interesting in the world.”

-The Federalist, no. 1, Alexander Hamilton

So began Alexander Hamilton in the first installment of the Federalist Essays, which urged the citizens of the state of New York to ratify the Constitution of the new United States. The Federalist Essays are only some of many writings in early American newspapers that demonstrate the development of our nation as we know it today. The newspaper was a major vessel for the dissemination of ideas that shaped public opinion throughout the American Revolution, and we find ample evidence of such writings here in the Library of Congress Early American Newspaper Collection.

Though news did not travel at lightning speed as it does today, printers were relatively quick publishing breaking news about the revolution. Isaiah Thomas, publisher of the Massachusetts Spy, famously fled Boston to set up his press in Worcester, MA, participated in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, then headed back to Worcester and printed news of those first battles of the war the very next day. The Boston Massacre, which took place on March 5, 1770, was covered just one week later on March 12 in the Boston Gazette, and the Country Journal, along with Paul Revere’s woodcut illustration of four caskets, representing the four men known to be dead at the time as a result of the massacre.

As the fighting began and the nation headed towards independence, there was much discussion on how to govern this new nation. Newspapers reprinted writings on governing philosophies from letters and pamphlets, and some papers even existed largely for the sake of swaying opinion in one direction or another. By the end of the war, a greater number of newspapers in publication were in support of a Federalist government, while a smaller number were supporters of Jeffersonian Democratic Republicanism. The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser was one such newspaper and operated as the official outlet of the Democratic Republican government.

The Serial and Government Publications Division will display these newspapers and many more on the following dates:

Please join us at the displays to see these newspapers in person and to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s independence!