U.S., African American Newspapers, 1829-1947

This database contains issues of African-American newspapers printed in the 19th and early 20th century.

Historical Background

The black press in America traces its roots to the Freedom’s Journal, first published in 1827. Later, papers often were established to serve growing black population centers, where they provided news of interest to the community that was not always reported in the mainstream press. This database contains issues from more than 200 African-American newspapers printed in the 19th and early 20th centuries from all across the United States.

What You May Find in the Records

The newspapers microfilmed in this database contain news (local, national, world), editorials, advertisements, and other items that provide context on a place and time. They may also include notices about births, marriages, and deaths, which can be crucial to genealogical research. The following details have been indexed to help you find references to names and other important genealogical information:

• names
• residences
• birth dates and places
• brides and grooms
• marriage dates and places
• age at marriage
• death dates and places
• age at death