Civil War: New York Times 1860

Description

This collection comprises a digitized archive of the New York Times from 1860, encompassing nearly 2,000 pages from specific periods throughout the year. This digital version provides full text transcriptions of all the newspaper’s pages, making the content easily searchable. The search functionality allows users to query the entire archive at once.

The year 1860 was pivotal in the lead-up to the American Civil War, and this newspaper archive reflects that. Two defining moments are thoroughly documented: Abraham Lincoln’s presidential victory on November 6th, a win achieved without a single Southern state’s support, and South Carolina’s secession from the Union on December 20th. The Times‘ coverage extensively chronicles both the presidential election and the escalating tensions that culminated in secession.

The pervasive issue of slavery, with its approximately four million enslaved people in the United States at the time, is heavily featured in the New York Times throughout the year. A search reveals nearly 10,000 instances of words related to slavery within this collection, indicating its central role in the newspaper’s reporting.

The Times followed Lincoln’s political journey closely, beginning with coverage of his impactful Cooper Union speech in February. Initially viewed as an unlikely Republican nominee, Lincoln’s rise to victory is meticulously documented, including detailed election results from New York state, showing Lincoln’s narrow margin of victory over Stephen Douglas.

Beyond the Civil War’s looming crisis, the New York Times also reported on a variety of other national and international events. For example, the launch of the Pony Express, a groundbreaking mail delivery service spanning from Missouri to California, is among the many events covered in this historical record.