New Resource: Washington Evening Star Historical Archive, 1852-1981
GSU affiliates now have digital access to the Washington Evening Star Historical Archive, 1852-1981. Founded on December 16, 1852 and closing on August 7, 1981, the Evening Star covered over 130 years of American history from within Washington, DC.
From publisher’s information:
Until its demise in 1981, The Evening Star was universally regarded as the “paper of record” for the nation’s capital. Published under such titles as Washington Star-News and The Washington Star, this long-running daily afternoon paper was one of the highest profile publications in the nation. Founded in 1852, by the 1930s its coverage of national politics—including the daily activities of every branch of government–made it the nation’s number one paper in advertising revenue.
From its earliest years, the Star was a contrarian powerhouse, not afraid to buck Washington’s prevailing political winds. Prior to the Civil War, as abolitionists decried slavery in their own publications, the Star presented both sides of the debate. During the War itself, the Star’s excellent reporting increased its popularity; even today Civil War historians frequently cite Star articles at length. By the mid-20th century—a period marked by McCarthyism, landmark Civil Rights legislation and the beginning of the space race—the Star reached its zenith in local circulation and national influence. Between 1944 and 1981, Star writers, reporters and cartoonists accumulated 10 Pulitzer Prizes.
We have several other digital editions of major US newspapers available to GSU affiliates including:
- Atlanta Constitution (1868-1984)
- New York Times (1851-2011)
- Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003; African-American newspaper)
- Chicago Defender (1910-1975; African-American newspaper)
For information about other historical newspapers available at the Georgia State University Library, check out our Historical Newspaper Holdings research guide.