In the years 1893 and 1894 pioneering African American investigative journalist and early civil rights leader Ida Bell Wells (1862-1931) visited Britain on a series of speaking tours. Ida Bell Wells Ida B. Wells, born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi, had made it her mission to raise awareness of the brutal ramifications of the lynch law in the Southern States of America. This special blog will explore how Wells was received in Britain, and how the press of the …
United States
With summer well underway and a new month dawning, we take a look at the month of July with the help of The British Newspaper Archive. What events and holidays of significance took place in July? How have our newspapers covered such happenings? Join us as we explore the history and newspaper coverage of Canada Day, the Battle of the Somme, and Independence Day. Canada Day The national holiday celebrates the anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution Act, which …
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Space Race The Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States experienced a significant ratcheting up at the end of the 1950s with the Sputnik Crisis, which saw the successful launching and orbit of the satellite Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957. This development was a key factor in the creation of NASA the following year by the United States as well as the investment of federal funds into national security and research and development. An …
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Keep an eye out for low-flying pancakes today! The Pall Mall Gazette reported that a pancake was thrown at US President Grover Cleveland and his wife during a visit to St Louis in 1887. View the whole newspaper page Pall Mall Gazette – Tuesday 25 October 1887 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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At Ford’s Theatre in Washington on 14 April 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth. After shooting President Lincoln, Booth jumped down to the stage and shouted, ‘Sic temper tyrannis’ (‘thus always to tyrants’). Wilkes Booth was a member of one of America’s most famous acting families and was also fanatical in his support for the Confederacy. To mark the sad day, here are two early reports of the assassination, as carried …
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On 6 March 1836, the Battle of the Alamo ended, following a 12-day battle between the Texan rebels and President General Santa Anna’s Mexican army. The battle resulted in the death of all the Texian defenders. To mark the day, we’ve posted below two newspaper stories from May 1836 that report on the end of the famous battle. The first tells us about the battle. A second article promoted the cause of Texas. Discover more about the Battle of …