Library Guides: History Research Guide: Find Historical Newspapers

Historical Iowa College Newspapers

Historical Newspaper Databases

ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
An archive of 14 major historical U.S. newspapers that can be searched collectively or individually. Every issue of each title includes the complete paper, cover to cover.
Proquest Historical Newspapers: U.S.North Central Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to select Midwestern historical newspapers, including the Des Moines Register (1871-2008).
Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Provides access to primary source newspapers from the 19th century, featuring full-text content and images from numerous newspapers throughout the U.S. The collection encompasses the entire 19th century.
Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
The Times Digital Archive provides access to historical news content beginning from the publication's inception in 1785. With over 12 million articles covering all major world events, the archive is a rich repository of primary source material useful for research across multiple disciplines and areas of interest.
In the "Search Collections" section, check the box next to "Times Digital Archive" under "Limit by your collections" to search only the Times.
Global Press Archive This link opens in a new window
Archive of nearly 1,400 historical newspapers from China, Russia, Mexico, and the Middle East dating from the late 18th-century through the the 20th-century. Focus is on Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish language materials, though 30 different languages are represented. Most content is open access.
HarpWeek This link opens in a new window
Provides a continuous record of what happened on a weekly basis from 1857 through 1912 from the pages of Harpers Weekly, one of the important American newspapers in the 19th century.
American Historical Periodicals from the American Antiquarian Society This link opens in a new window
This extensive collection includes hundreds of American periodicals from the late 18th century up to 1923 and is an excellent source of high quality primary resources.
American Underworld : the Flash Press This link opens in a new window
The Flash Press covers half a century (1826 to 1876) of the seamier aspects of urban life in New York. Characterized by humor and satire, the publications targeted “low-life” characters even though journalists were often accomplished upper class writers. Topics covered in this collection include crime, scandal, brothels, sporting events and reviews of theatrical performances.
American Underworld : the Flash Press tutorial
African American Newspapers This link opens in a new window
This is a collection of historical African American newspapers, largely from the 19th century. Contains information about cultural life and history including early biographies, vital statistics, essays, editorials, advertisements, poetry, and prose all of which embody the African American experience.
Historic Mexican and Mexican American Press Collection This link opens in a new window
This database includes historic full-text facsimiles of historic Mexican & Mexican American regional newspapers from Tucson, El Paso, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sonora, Mexico from the mid-1800s to the 1970s, plus national magazines such as Américas. Most publications are in Spanish; coverage is 1800s-1970s.
Farm, Field and Fireside: Agricultural Newspaper Collection This link opens in a new window
A free repository of historically significant US farm weekly newspapers documenting a time of transition in American agriculture, politics, family life and technology. Covers late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.

Other Historical Newspapers Online

Iowa Digital Library
The Iowa Digital Library is a University of Iowa platform. It features more than a million digital objects created from the holdings of the University of Iowa Libraries and its campus partners. Included are illuminated manuscripts, historic maps, fine art, historic newspapers, scholarly works, and more. Digital collections are coordinated by the Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio.
Iowa Digital Newspaper Project
The State Historical Society of Iowa in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress, offers access to select digitized Iowa newspapers online through Chronicling America.
Chronicling America
"The Chronicling America website contains digitized newspaper pages and information about historic newspapers to place the primary sources in context and support future research." It is maintained by the Library of Congress. Can be searched by state using the drop-down menu.
Accessible Archives
This databases contains material found in leading historic periodicals and books. Eyewitness accounts of historical events, vivid descriptions of daily life, editorial observations, commerce as seen through advertisements, and genealogical records.
Library of American Broadcasting (University of Maryland)
This site provides access to their collection of audio and video recordings, books, pamphlets, periodicals, personal collections, oral histories, photographs, scripts and vertical files devoted exclusively to the history of broadcasting.
Ad* Access
Provided by Duke University this web site provides access to digital images and information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955.
The Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of World War I, 1918-1919
Published for the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I the newspaper's mission was to provide these scattered troops with a sense of unity and an understanding of their part in the overall war effort.
American Indian Newspapers
This subscription-based resource presents the publications of a range of communities, with an extensive list of periodicals produced in the United States and Canada, including Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Nevada and Oklahoma, from 1828 to 2016. You can sign up for FREE TRIAL.
The British Newspaper Archive
This is an ongoing partnership between the British Library and "findmypast" to digitize up to 40 million newspaper pages from the former's vast newspaper collection. ISU does not currently subscribe to the platform. However, individual subscription with unlimited access goes for about US$8.71 per year.
Elephind: World Newspaper Archives
Contains full text access to nearly 3,000 newspapers throughout the world going back more than a hundred years.
Historic German Newspapers and Journal Online
Access to digitized historic newspapers including online regional newspapers, Jewish newspapers, and historic periodicals.
Google Newspaper Archive
Includes full text access to hundreds of older newspapers from throughout the world.

Becca Yowler

she/they

Email Me

Subjects: Anthropology, History, World Languages & Cultures

History Research Guide

Historical Iowa College Newspapers

Historical Newspaper Databases

Other Historical Newspapers Online

Special Audience Newspapers