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HIST 001X and HIST/POLS 70D: Crime and Punisment in America (SC)

History 001X (Marjorie Murphy) Fall 2021 | HIST/POLS 70D: Murphy and Reeves)

Primary Sources: News and Newspapers

Use these databases to find historical newspaper and magazine articles

19th Century (1800-1899)

American Periodicals

Find articles published in 1,800+ magazines and journals published in the United States between 1740-1940. Includes early scientific publications, trade journals, and popular magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal.

Example results: 352 articles on amendments banning slavery, except for those convicted of a crime (articles from 1813-1938)

Platform: ProQuest

African-American Newspapers, 1825-1998

Find articles published in a 280+ African American newspapers. Searches publications from 30+ states, including large cities and small towns.

Example results: 275 articles on convict labor, published between 1860-1889

  • Use the Decade filter to limit results
  • Explore results by Publication Name or Location

Platform: Readex

African American Historical Serials

Search through and read 173 African American periodicals from 1816-1922. Includes reports from organizations such as churches and educational institutions, newspapers, and magazines.

Platform: EBSCO

 

20th Century (1900-2000)

Major African American Newspapers

Find articles published in a handful of major African American newspapers.

Example results: 59 articles including the phrase "bail is set" (1928-2003)

Newspapers included: Baltimore Afro-American, Los Angeles Sentinel, New York Amsterdam News, Philadelphia Tribune

Platform: ProQuest

African American Newspapers, 1825-1998

Find articles published in a 280+ African American newspapers. Searches publications from 30+ states, including large cities and small towns.

Example results: 59 newspaper articles mentioning death penalty/capital punishment (published 1950-1979)

  • Use the Decade filter to limit results
  • Explore results by Publication Name or Location

Platform: Readex

Readers' Guide Retrospective

Search for a topic to find articles published in popular US magazines between 1890-1992.

Example results: 15 articles about prison newspapers/publications (1916-1982)

  • This database searches through a fairly large number of publications.
  • Include synonyms in your search (see example below)
  • Only some articles have PDFs, so use the FindIt button to find full text.

Platform: EBSCO

Popular Magazines: Time, Life, The Atlantic

Find articles published in a handful of popular US magazines.

Example results: 118 articles including the phrase "sentenced to" (1900-1950)

Magazines included:  Time Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Republic, US News & World Report, Life Magazine, The National Review, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune

Platform: EBSCO

ProQuest News & Newspapers

Find articles from many major US newspapers (1850s-present). Also searches newspapers from communities of color and feminist publications.

Newspapers included: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer, Los Angeles Times

Additional Resources