Chronicling America
Scanned American newspapers from 1770 to 1963, full-text searchable, which is a dangerous thing to discover on a weeknight.
Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.
How to get the most from it
Chronicling America sits in History & Time under Learn, filed as rabbit hole.
- Open it when the evening is free. It has no natural stopping point.
- Use a laptop or desktop computer — we file it as desktop only.
- It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
- No account needed — you can start without signing up.
- Go in expecting something nostalgic, brainy and useful.
About this category: Historical maps, timelines, primary sources and the strange experience of seeing a moment in time laid out as an interface.
Good for
- A long evening with nothing planned
- A trip back to the older internet
- Giving your brain a workout
- Getting something practical done
- A quiet break at your desk
- Trying it with zero commitment
Chronicling America: quick answers
Is Chronicling America free?
Yes. Chronicling America is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account to use Chronicling America?
No. You can use Chronicling America without signing up for anything.
Does Chronicling America work on a phone?
Not well. We file Chronicling America as desktop only, so open it on a laptop or desktop computer.
Is Chronicling America safe for work?
Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.
How long does Chronicling America take?
We file it as "Rabbit hole": Clear your evening. We warned you.
More in History & Time
All 16 in History & TimeOver a hundred thousand high-resolution scanned maps, georeferenced and free to zoom into more or less indefinitely.
- 1 hr+
- Desktop
One search across thousands of American libraries, archives and museums, with curated exhibitions layered on top.
- 1 hr+
Fifty million digitised items from European museums, libraries and archives, behind one search box.
- 1 hr+
An interactive world atlas you can scrub year by year from 3000 BC, watching every border redraw itself.
- 10 min
- Desktop
Same mood: nostalgic
All nostalgic sitesFive photographs, one question each: what year was this taken? Points scale with how close you land, and the cars always give it away.
Decades of adverts preserved exactly as broadcast, including the jingles you will regret having remembered.
- 10 min
- Sound on
Several thousand DOS, Amiga and console titles catalogued with screenshots, each playable without leaving the page.
- 10 min
- Sound on
- Desktop
An audio museum of sounds made by objects that no longer exist — dial tones, shutter clicks, the whirr of a rewinding tape.
- 10 min
- Sound on
Keep exploring
Category
Time and mood
Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.