Old newspapers give us a glimpse into the everyday lives of
our ancestors. Not to mention that it’s
a lot of fun to browse through them.
In years past, newspapers printed the same kinds of news that we find
in today’s papers. The volume of information was, as today, dependent on the
location and size of the paper’s circulation base. They covered local, national and
international politics, business, events, and sports. There were legal notices
and accounts of court proceedings.
Social events were described in flowery language.
There were commercial ads and classified ads.
There were human interest articles and stories.
What were the local issues of the day? What was happening that affected your
ancestors? Were streets being paved? Street car tracks being laid? Land being
annexed to the city? What kinds of
entertainment were available?
History books tell of significant events, but newspapers
tell us about everyday life.
Here are some online sources for historic newspapers
This is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and
the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Newspapers.com – Subscription
Genealogy Bank - Subscription
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