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African American Digital Archives

The purpose of this guide is to recommend electronic digital collections for researching African American history.

Indiana (IN)

Indianapolis Recorder

What began as a two-page church bulletin by co-founders George Pheldon Stewart and William H. Porter, the Indianapolis Recorder is one of the top African-American publications in the nation. Established in 1897, the Indianapolis Recorder focused on local people and events in Indianapolis but also reported national events. IUPUI University (Indiana University-Perdue University Indiana) houses the Indianapolis Recorder Digital Collection which Provides access to the paper from 1899-2005.

Wisconsin (WI)

Freedom's Journal

Freedom's Journal was the first African-American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. Founded by Rev. Peter Williams, Jr. and other free black men in New York City, it was published weekly as a four-page, four-column newspaper, starting with the March 16, 1827 issue. Freedom's Journal circulated in 11 states, the District of Columbia, Haiti, Europe, and Canada.