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History of Social Welfare Policies & Programs Up to the 1930s

This guide focuses on resources that you can use when seeking information on the history of social welfare policies and programs in the U.S. up to the 1930s.

Why Newspapers?

You can use historical newspapers to find out how issues and events were reported during a specific time in history.

How They Reported It

Historical New York Times
Allows you to search and display the full image of articles published in the New York Times back to 1851. The three+ most recent years are not included; use Factiva to find more recent articles. Rutgers-restricted Access.
Historical Washington Post
Search and display the full image of articles published in the Washington Post between 1877 and 2006. Rutgers-restricted Access.
Chicago Defender
The Chicago Defender was the most influential African-American newspaper of the 20th century. With the majority of its readership outside the Chicago region, it served as the de facto national black newspaper in the U.S. Search and display the full text of articles published between 1910 and 1975. Rutgers-restricted Access.

Documenting White Supremacy

Documenting White Supremacy and Its Opponents in the 1920s
Full text access to eleven Ku Klux Klan newspapers, six pro-Klan newspapers, and two anti-Klan newspapers published between 1921 and 1932. Rutgers-restricted Access.