The Constitution of the United States... One for the best of collections...

CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, Oct. 1, 1787  Here is one of the more historic and desirable newspapers to be had on the creation of the government of the United States--The Constitution of the United States was approved by Congress. This, along with the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights are likely the most historic 18th century documents to have in an American newspaper.

Con... See More  

Fear that the new government in America will fail...

THE EDINBURGH ADVERTISER, Scotland, Feb. 13, 1784  Page 4 has an interesting letter from Philadelphia to a friend in Glasgow noting in part: "Our government...is not yet well established; and I am really afraid that this country will experience some dreadful political convulsion before this desirable establishment takes place...different bodies...of the different colonies, and jealousy o... See More  

Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga...

EDINBURGH EVENING COURANT, Scotland, Dec. 8, 1777  Certainly the most  significant content is the page 2 report on the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, a very much-needed victory for the American cause. Some of the reporting includes: "...arrived in town express...we are sorry to say that Government have received the melancholy accounts that General Burgoyne and his army have been... See More  

Timely report of the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, December, 1791  Presented inconspicuously among other death reports is a brief yet very notable report on the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, ending with a prophetic comment:  " At Vienna, Wolfgang Mozart, the celebrated German composer. By his death the musical world will sustain an irreparable loss." 

He died on December 5, m... See More  

A skirmish in South Carolina...

THE PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST, Philadelphia, Oct. 3, 1776  Any newspaper dated 1776 is quite desirable, but even more so issues printed in Philadelphia.

Page 2 has a report which includes: "There is not a maritime nation in Europe but which privately carries on a trade with the British colonies of North America, France & Spain in particular, who have the best opportunity for it; wit... See More  

The most influential speech in support of the Constitution...

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, Nov. 22, 1787  As soon as the Constitution was presented to the public it was met with an onslaught of criticism that its defenders would need to counter. It initially fell to the Constitution's champions based in Pennsylvania, where the Constitutional Convention was held, to devise a response. None proved more influential than the speech delivered on Octobe... See More  

The Boston Massacre: the definitive report in a London newspaper...

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, April 24, 1770  This is simply a terrific issue as it gives an excellent account of the Boston Massacre as taken from the "Boston Gazette" newspaper of March 12, 1770, the issue so famous that it was reprinted due to its excellent account of this, one of the most famous events of the 18th century, and a catalyst for action which would result in the Rev... See More  

The Howe's offer pardon to those who return their allegiance to the King...

THE CONTINENTAL JOURNAL & WEEKLY ADVERTISER, Boston, Dec. 19, 1776  Taking close to half of the front page is a notable: "PROCLAMATION" by Richard Viscount Howe and William Howe.

Keeping in mind that Washington had just abandoned New York with the British taking control, within this Proclamation they noted previous grants of a free and general pardon if colonists again paid all... See More  

President Jefferson reports on the Lewis & Clark Expedition...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, March 5, 1806  Page 2 begins with a message from the President to the House signed in type: Th. Jefferson, with much concerning the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

A few portions include: "...Capt. Meriwether Lewis...was appointed, with a party of men, to explore the river Missouri from its mouth to its source, and crossing the highlands by the shortest ... See More  

Lincoln's 2nd inauguration, with his inaugural address on the front page...

CLEVELAND MORNING LEADER, Ohio, March 6, 1865  The front page has a stack of column heads on both Lincoln's second inauguration as President, as well as the latest reports on the Civil War's final weeks.

They include: "Inauguration Day" "President Lincoln's Address" "Celebrations of the Day Thro' out the Country" "Official War Bulletin"... See More  

Union occupation newspaper from Wilmington, North Carolina...

THE HERALD OF THE UNION, Wilmington, North Carolina, March 4, 1865  This is a Union occupation newspaper, as Wilmington fell to the Yankee forces in February, 1865, being the last Atlantic port to fall to the Northern forces. This is the volume 1, number 5 issue. Our records indicate this is the first of this title we have ever offered.

There are a wealth of column heads on the Civil War inc... See More  

Washington's first inaugural address...

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, July 2, 1789  In a day when American newspapers with the printing of Washington's inaugural address are well into four figures--if available at all--British newspaper reports become perhaps the last opportunity for a period English language printing at an accessible price.

Great that this report is entirely on the front page, headed: "America" &qu... See More  

Causes & Necessity of Taking Up Arms: consumes the entire front page...

THE PROVIDENCE GAZETTE & COUNTRY JOURNAL, Rhode Island, July 29, 1775  In the world of American Revolutionary literature and manuscripts three bodies of work stand out: 1) Thomas Paine's Common Sense; 2) the Declaration of Independence; and 3) the earliest of the Revolutionary trinity: The Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms.

All of the front page and a bit of page 2 are taken up ... See More  

On the 1929 stock market crash: in the Wall Street Journal...

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, October 26, 1929  The stock market crash of 1929 did much to define America for the next decade, resulting in the Great Depression and all the trauma relating to it. It seemed common for many newspapers to put a positive spin on the on-going tragedy, so front page reports often conflicted with the reality of the time.

Terrific--and rarely found--to have an issue of t... See More  

Very early newsbook from the English Civil War... The capture of Reading...

MERCURIUS AULICUS, Communicating the Intelligence and affaires of the Court, to the rest of the Kingdome. (Oxford), The seventeenth Weeke, (April 23-30, 1643).

This is a very early newsbook, predecessors of today's newspapers being somewhat of a transitional publication between pamphlets & newspapers, but defined specifically as periodicals by having a set period of issuance, being consec... See More  

Many honors to George Washington and Nathaniel Greene for their leadership in the Revolutionary War...

THE PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL & THE WEEKLY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, Dec. 17, 1783  This is certainly one of the more displayable newspapers of the Revolutionary War era with this quite large & decorative engraving in the masthead.

Page 2 includes a letter of congratulations to Major-General Nathaniel Greene by the people of Newport, R.I., for his heroic effort during the war, followed by... See More  

Four century set of the London Gazette...

THE LONDON GAZETTE, England.  A collection of four issues of this--the world's oldest continually published English language newspaper--each one hundred years apart. Issues are dated 1671, 1771, 1871 and 1971.

Interestingly, the format of this title did not change much over the years save for the number of pages increasing with the years. The 4 issue collection comes in a custom-made 4 s... See More  

One of the best Kennedy assassination newspapers to be had...

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