Newspaper Article Database, 1762-1885

 

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What is this database?

With the exception of the East-Florida Gazette in the 1780s and a small press at Ferndandina in 1817, Florida had no colonial newspapers. Even in the immediate aftermath of cession in 1821, only a few newspapers served Florida. The Newspaper Article Database consists of stories and reports about Florida gathered together by the Goza and Mickler families and donated to the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History. There are approximately 1500 articles in the database. They are all from non-Florida newpapers and cover events in Florida between 1762 and 1885. The articles pre-dating the Territorial Period help to "fill in" the journalistic record at a time when there was no Florida press, while the articles from after 1821 both complement and supplement news published in Florida.

What kind of information is in the database?

The search engine will provide you with a brief synopsis of the content of each article, the name of the newspaper in which the article appeared, the date of the issue, and the page and column number(s) of the article.

At this time, there are relatively few articles for the period from 1762 to 1799. However, the years from 1800 to 1842 are well-covered (approximately 1240 articles). Among other events, the database includes accounts of William Augustus Bowles' activities against the Spanish, disputes between Spain and the United States over the Louisiana Purchase, the revolution in West Florida (1810), the Patriot War (1812-1813), Andrew Jackson's campaigns in Florida during the War of 1812, Gregor McGregor's seizure of Amelia Island (1817), the First Seminole War, the cession of Florida to the U.S. (1819-1821), and the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). Another 250 articles cover the period of the Third Seminole War, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

In general, articles consist of stories reprinted from Florida newspapers, transcripts of Congressional debates, reports filed by military officers, personal letters written from Florida by residents and visitors, editorials and commentaries, travel memoirs, and reports filed by special correspondents.

How biased is the selection?

The principal weakness of this database is that it primarily contains stories published by national and northern newspapers (Washington, D.C., New York, Pennsylvania, New England, and to some extent the Midwest). The southern press is poorly represented. More southern newspapers will be added to the database to correct this problem. Also, the selection of articles is clearly weighted towards the terminal Spanish colonial period and Florida's Territorial Period. Even with these biases, however, the database is a good index to important events in Florida. It includes many articles reprinted from the Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia press that are now difficult or impossible to find in their original form.

How can I view the full text of the articles?

At this time, articles labeled as coming from the Goza collection can be read in the original (curated at the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History) and are also available on microfilm through Inter-Library Loan. The Mickler newpapers are available in originals but not on film. In 2001, the Digital Library Center at Smathers Libraries will begin digitizing ALL articles in this database so that full-text versions of every article will be available online, linked directly to the search engine. If you have questions about accessing the articles, contact James Cusick, curator, at jamcusi@uflib.ufl.edu.

What papers are in the database?

The database draws on articles from the following newspapers: Advocate And Sentinel, Albany Argus, Albany Evening Journal, Alexander's Messenger, Allegheny Democrat and Working-Men's Advocate, American, American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser, American Messenger, Army and Navy Chronicle, Aurora, Aurora For the Country, Baltimore Patriot & Evening Advertiser, Bedford Gazette, Boston Chronicle, Boston Courier, Boston Gazette, Boston Recorder, Boston Semi-Weekly Advertiser, Boston Weekly Messenger, Bradford Reporter, Broome Republican, Century, Chambersburg Repository and Whig, Charleston Daily Courier, Cincinnati Daily Commercial, Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser, Globe, Columbian Centinel, Concord Gazette, Connecticut Courant, Connecticut Gazette, Connecticut Gazette and the Commercial Intelligencer, Connecticut Journal, Connecticut Mirror, Courier of New Hampshire, Daily Albany Argus, Daily Chronicle, Daily National Intelligencer, Democratic Herald and Commercial Register, Democratic Press, Erie Gazette, Erie Observer, Essex Patriot, Essex Register, Evening Post, Family Messenger, Farmers Cabinet, Federal RepubIican and BaItimore Telegraph, Federal Republican, and Commercial Gazette, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Franklin Gazette, Gazette of the United States and Philadelphia Daily Advertiser, General Advertiser, Hampden Federalist & Public Journal, Hampshire Federalist, Hampshire Gazette, Hancock Gazette and Penobscot Patriot, Harper's Weekly, Harpers Weekly, Harrisburg Chronicle, Herald, Herald of Freedom and the Federal Advertiser, Illustrated Times, Independent Chronicle, Independent Chronicle & Boston Patriot, Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser, Journal, Journal of Commerce, Keystone, Lancaster Journal, Lewistown Republican and Working Man's Advocate, Lewistown Republican and Working Men's Advocate, Liberator, London Chronicle, Madisonian, Madisonian For The Country, Manufacturers and Farmers Journal, Massachusetts Spy or Worcester Gazette, Mercury and New England Palladium, Middlesex Gazette & Advertiser, Minerva & Mercantile Evening Advertiser, Morning Courier and New York Enquirer For The Country, Morning Herald, National Advocate, National Advocate for the Country, National Gazette, National Gazette and Literary Register, National Intelligencer, National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, National IntelligencerSupplement, New England Palladium, New England Palladium & Commercial Advertiser, New Hampshire Patriot & State Gazette, New London Gazette and General Advertiser, New York Illustrated Times, New York Advertiser, New York American, New York American Extra, New York Commercial Advertiser, New York Daily Tribune, New York Evening Post, New York Gazette & General Advertiser, New York Herald, New York Mercury, New York Mirror, New York Observer, New York Spectator, New York Statesman, New York Times, New York Transcript, New York Tribune, New York Weekly Tribune, New Yorker, New York Illustrated News, Norristown Free Press, Norwich Courier, Patriot Union, Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, Pennsylvanian, Pennsylvanian For The Country, Philadelphia Gazette and Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia Evening Star and Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia Gazette and Universal Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philanthropist, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Saturday Courier, Phoenix Alexandria Gazette, Pittsfield Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Portland Gazette, Portland Transcript, Portsmouth Journal, Portsmouth Oracle, Poulson's American Daily Advertiser, Providence Gazette, Providence Patriot, Relfs Philadelphia Gazette, Repertory, Repertory & General Advertiser, Republican, Republican Watch-Tower, Review and Telegraph, Rhode Island American and General Advertiser, Rhode Island and American Providence Gazette, Richmond Enquirer, Salem Gazette, Saturday Chronicle and Mirror of the Times, Saturday Chronicle, Philanthropist and Mirror of the Times, Semi-Weekly Advertiser, Spectator, Statesman, Supplement to the Keystone, Supplement to the Philadelphia Gazette, Times, Union, United States' Gazette and True American for the Country, United States Gazette For The Country, United States Gazette For the Country Extra, United States Telegraph, United States Telegraph and Commercial Herald, Universal Gazette, Utica Morning Herald and Daily Gazette, Vermont Mercury, Village Record or Chester and Delaware Federalist, Waltharn Free Press, Weekly Argus, Weekly Argus and Rough-Hewer, Weekly Herald, Weekly Messenger, Weekly Messenger, Weekly North American, Woodstock Observer, World, Wyoming Herald, Lloyd's Evening Post, New Jersey Gazette, Weekly Museum, Massachusetts Mercury, Salem Register, Niles' Weekly Register, Weekly Register, Boston Patriot, Columbian Phenix, American Daily Advertiser, Columbian Register, National Journal, American Traveller, New York Sun, Reporter and State Journal, Massachusetts Eagle, Albion, British, Colonial and Foreign Weekly Gazette, Centre Democrat, Hartford Times, New-Hampshire Gazette, American & Commercial Daily Advertiser, New York World, Democratic Union, New Hampshire Gazette, New York Morning News, Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Gazette, Home Journal, Gleason's Pictorial, Boston Daily Evening Traveller, American & Commercial Advertiser, Boston Post, Kenosha Telegraph, Salem Observer, Newburgh Weekly Press, Elmira (N.Y.) Daily Advertiser, Christian Union, Albany Daily Evening Times, Saint Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, Record of the Times, National Anti-Slavery Standard, Chicago Times, New York Weekly Sun, Christian Advocate, Chicago Daily Tribune, and Luzerne Union.

In addition, the newspapers in the database frequently contain excerpts or articles reprinted from the Jacksonville Courier, the St. Augustine Herald, the Florida Intelligencer, the Tallahassee Floridian, other Florida newspapers, the Savannah Georgian, the Savannah Republican, the Charleston Courier, and other southern papers.

 

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© 1999 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries
Dept. of Special Collections
P. O. Box 117007  Gainesville, FL 32611-7001  (352) 392-9075, ext. 306
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Send comments and/or questions about this site to James Cusick, curator, Florida history jamcusi@uflib.ufl.edu.
Updated November 1, 2000