Historic Newspapers: Black Americana

FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER, Rochester, New York, Sept. 8, 1854

• Extremely rare publication

We are pleased to offer this exceedingly rare--and highly desirable--newspaper by the famed Frederick

FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER, Rochester, New York, May 20, 1852

• Extremely rare publication

We are pleased to offer this exceedingly rare--and highly desirable--newspaper by the famed Frederick

FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER, Rochester, New York, June 17, 1852  We are pleased to offer this exceedingly rare--and highly desirable--newspaper by the famed Frederick Douglass. This weekly title is

THE BOSTON WEEKLY NEWS-LETTER, "New England", April 10-17, 1740

• Among the earliest of American newspapers to be had
• Ad for sale of a "healthy negro woman"

This very rare title was the first

GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, New York, Nov. 25, 1789

• Benjamin Franklin re. slavery - slaves
• Newly elected President George Washington

It contains: An Address to the Public" by Benjamin Franklin as

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, Oct. 7, 1773

• Phillis Wheatley poem "On Imagination"
• Famous "Slave" servant turned poet

An extraordinary issue, as page 5 contains what might be the first periodical

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 1862

• Emancipation Proclamation
• President Abraham Lincoln
• Freedom for enslaved - slaves
• Best publication to be had (very rare)

Page 2 begins with the

NEW YORK WEEKLY TRIBUNE, September 27, 1862

• Emancipation Proclamation
• President Abraham Lincoln

Page 2 contains the full texts of the Emancipation Proclamation, perhaps the most significant

THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER, Philadelphia, Nov. 30, 1776

• Rare Revolutionary War era title
• Tory issue from Pennsylvania
• Great year to have (1776)

(editor's copy) This was a decidedly Tory newspaper,

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE London, September, 1773

• Phillis Wheatley poem & biography
• Famous Woman servant turned poet

Near the back is a printing of a poem titled: "On Recollection" which was written

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, September 20, 1873  Certainly the prime feature of this issue is the much desired Winslow Homer doublepage centerfold: "Snap the Whip".
Front page features a 1/2 page

THE CRISIS, Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 7, 1863

• President Abraham Lincoln
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Spiteful editorial by Democrats

A terrific issue, as the front page contains a printing of Lincoln's

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, June 22, 1773

• Phillis Wheatley's London arrival
• Famous Woman servant turned poet

Certainly the most notable report is found on the back page, which contains: "Last

THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER, Philadelphia, Oct. 21, 1775

• Ethan Allen captured
• American Revolutionary War

The front page includes a letter: "To the King" which references the American situation &

ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, England, Nov. 29, 1856   The most notable item within this issue is the very nice full page print captioned: "Slave Sale, Charleston, South Carolina, From A Sketch By Eyre

NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Aug. 25, 1862

• Famous Abraham Lincoln letter
• "A Prayer of Twenty Millions" reply
• Tribune publisher Horace Greeley

On page 4 is one of the more famous letters from Abraham Lincoln,

NEW YORK TRIBUNE, March 9, 1857

• Historic Dred Scott Decision
• Famous former slave case

Page 5 has nearly 2 1/2 columns taken up with a report on the historic Dred Scott Decision, a landmark decision

THE CRISIS, Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 24, 1862

• Emancipation Proclamation
• President Abraham Lincoln
• Rare pro-Confederate publication

Given the focus of this controversial newspaper, being supportive of the

NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Oct. 23, 1858

• Abraham Lincoln & Stephen Douglas
• The Great Debates of 1858 (last one)
• Alton, Madison County, Illinois

Keeping in mind that this was from the period of the

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, June 2, 1860  The prime print in this issue is the three-quarter page illustration captioned: "The Slave Deck on the Bark 'Wildfire' Brought Into Key West on April 30,

NILES WEEKLY REGISTER, Baltimore

• The "Mitigation of Slavery" - 8 issues

• Serialized essay by Hezekiah Niles'
• His plan to abolish slavery in America

A set of 8 issues which contain all eight essays by

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., May 26 and 28, 1836 (a two-issue set)

The May 26th issue has much of the contentious dialogue in The House of Representatives regarding the resolution

THE WEEKLY HERALD, New York, March 11, 1865

• President Abraham Lincoln inauguration
• Second inaugural address in full text

The front page features a large Civil War map headed: "CAPTURE OF THE REBEL

New Orleans slave sale document: A part-printed, part-handwritten document headed "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. State of Louisiana" for the sale of a slave.
The full text can be seen in the photos,

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, November 24, 1883  The entire front page is one of the more desirable of the entire 60 year run of this newspaper, being a fine portrait of: "Frederick Douglass", with a

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Nov. 16, 1867  Historic & significant full front page Thomas Nast illustration: "The First Vote" shows an African-American man voting. During the Reconstruction South

HARPER'S WEEKLY, June 22, 1861 through August 3, 1861. This is a seven-issue set (part 6) of Harper's Weekly containing the Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" in serialization format. The set

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, March 18, 1865  The entire front page is taken up with a very nice engraving captioned: "President Lincoln Taking the Oath At His Second Inauguration, March 4, 1865"

THE FREE SOUTH, Beaufort, South Carolina, Jan. 10, 1863

• Rare Union occupation publication

On November 7, 1861, the Union Navy seized control of Port Royal Harbor in South Carolina, securing a

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, August 8, 1863  Certainly one of the more desired issues of the Civil War with the nice content on the Battle of Gettysburg. The front page has 2 prints: "Saluting the Old

NEW YORK WEEKLY TRIBUNE, May 24, 1862

• General David Hunter order
• Emancipation of slaves
• Abraham Lincoln rebuffs
• Robert Smalls - born in slavery
• Leads fellow slaves to freedom

Page 2 begins with: "Gen.

THE CRISIS, Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 14, 1863

• Abraham Lincoln "Thanksgiving" proclamation (1st)

This anti-war newspaper insisted slavery should not be abolished, so consequently, much content has an

THE PALMETTO HERALD, Port Royal, South Carolina, Dec. 8, 1864

• Very rare Yankee occupation publication

This rare newspaper from Union-occupied Port Royal existed from just March 3 thru December 29,

NEW YORK TIMES, May 20, 1862

• General David Hunter's Emancipation order
• Abraham Lincoln rebuffs (nullifies)
• Robert Smalls & companions to be compensated

Page one has: "Gen. Hunter's Order Repudiated by

NEW YORK TIMES, Feb. 13, 1862  Certainly, the most notable content is found on the back page, headed: "Fred. Douglass On The War" "An Interesting Meeting at the Cooper Institute--A Speech by Fred.

FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE, Washington, D.C., Oct, 1853

• Very rare anti-slavery publication
• Slaves about 8 years prior to Civil War

A very scace title, not listed in Gregory, nor in Union List of

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, May 11, 1861 through June 15, 1861. This is a six-issue set (part 5) of Harper's Weekly containing the Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" in serialization format. The

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, July 28, 1888  The entire front page is taken up with one of the best 19th century baseball prints to be found, showing a batter, catcher & umpire captioned: "A Ball Or A

THE HERALD OF THE UNION, Wilmington, North Carolina, March 4, 1865

• Rare Union occupation publication
• Final weeks of the American Civil War
• Last Atlantic port of the Confederacy

This is a Union

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, July 4, 1863  The most desirable print in this issue is the half page: "Raid of Second South Carolina Volunteers (Col. Montgomery) Among the Rice Plantations on the

THE CRISIS, Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 27, 1862

• Famous Abraham Lincoln letter
• "A Prayer of Twenty Millions" reply
• Tribune publisher Horace Greeley

This anti-war newspaper insisted slavery should not be

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, July 2, 1864  Certainly the prime content in this issue is the very nice front page illustration of: "The Rebel General Robert Edmund Lee" with a short biography on him as

NEW YORK WORLD, May 20, 1862

• General David Hunter's Emancipation order
• Abraham Lincoln rebuffs (nullifies)
• Robert Smalls & companions to be compensated

The front page begins with column heads:

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Nov. 7, 1874  The full front page is a Thomas Nast political cartoon: "A Tammany Rat", but certainly the most significant print in this issue is another full page Thomas

GLEASON'S PICTORIAL DRAWING-ROOM COMPANION, Boston, May 10, 1851

• Thomas Sims - Negro
• Fugitive slave case

This was perhaps America's first successful illustrated newspaper, existing from 1851 thru

Harper's Weekly, November 24, 1860 through December 29, 1860. This is a six-issue set (part 1) of Harper's Weekly containing the Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" in serialization format. The set

DAILY RICHMOND EXAMINER, Virginia, July 8, 1863

• Battle of Gettysburg Coverage and more
• Rare Confederate title from rebel capital

Not only is this a nice newspaper from the Confederacy, but it is from

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY, (Boston), July, 1863

• Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Chiefly About War Matters"
• an original, contemporary printing - 1st appearance

signed with the pen name "A Peaceable Man"

• same year

THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER OR THE PHILADELPHIA MARKET-DAY ADVERTISER, February 14, 1778

• Revolutionary War Tory original
• Rare Pro British issue from America

This was a strongly Tory (supportive of the

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, London, July, 1753  Near the back is a terrific--yet inconspicuous--report which is part of various news items under the heading: "America" and dateline of Philadelphia,