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Found this today in my work-related e-mail and thought I'd share the review. It's a research resource for scholars of American history and government, so you'd need to see if your local library or academic institution had it, but sounds great for general readers and perhaps family historians as well -- Pat D.
"American Politics: Campaign Newspapers. Readex, 2017. Available via a range of purchase models. Pricing is based on multiple factors. Perpetual licensing fees begin at approximately $6,500.00.
readex.com
[Visited May’17] American Politics: Campaign Newspapers is the sole online resource offering primary-source documentation of presidential and regional campaigns spanning the early Republic (1790–1811) to Reconstruction (1866–77). This remarkable depth of information is compiled from more than 300 digitized newspapers from 32 states published between 1803 and 1876. The compilation also features additional materials that will be immensely valuable to American studies scholarship; the Readex interface allows users to filter for such items as news/opinion, election returns, letters, poetry (including song), legislative acts or legal proceedings, prices, shipping news, advertisements, front page, maps, birth notices, matrimony notices, and death notices.
Searching seems straightforward and easy to use; since updating its platform and search interface more than a year ago, Readex has installed a link soliciting user feedback. The design offers the option of a simple search or an advanced search screen for Boolean searches. One can view results as a full list, defaulting to chronological order, or as a drop-down list sorted in reverse chronological order or best matches. Five tabbed limiters across the tops of results pages give users options to filter search terms (in addition to Article Types) by Dates and Eras, Newspaper Titles, Places of Publication, or Languages. Under each limiter are additional filters; e.g., under Dates and Eras, one can view results restricted to Eras in the History of the Caribbean, US Presidential Eras (from Thomas Jefferson to Ulysses S. Grant), or Eras in American History. Filter options under this latter era point to Early Republic (1790–1811), War of 1812 (1812–15), Era of Good Feelings (1816–22), Jacksonian Era (1823–42), Antebellum Period (1843–60), US Civil War (1861–65), and Reconstruction (1866–77). Another limiter under Newspaper Titles produces a very useful, printable list that specifies starting and ending dates and city and state of publication and allows users to limit searches to one (or multiple) newspapers; one can see at a glance the extent to which states have indexing coverage, the publication schedule, and for what dates content is missing. One of the oldest newspapers—and most complete—is the Worchester (MA) National Aegis, published 1801–76, with more than 3,300 issues. There is, not surprisingly, a very long tail of singleton newspaper issues included here too.
Because one can search classified ads, current prices of important commodities, and reports of births, marriages, and deaths, this robust tool is ideal not only for scholars tracing American political and presidential history but also for researchers at all levels seeking primary-source material concerning broad matters of government, laws, and social practices. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers. —D. Becker, Hennepin County Medical Center Medical Library"
"American Politics: Campaign Newspapers. Readex, 2017. Available via a range of purchase models. Pricing is based on multiple factors. Perpetual licensing fees begin at approximately $6,500.00.
readex.com
[Visited May’17] American Politics: Campaign Newspapers is the sole online resource offering primary-source documentation of presidential and regional campaigns spanning the early Republic (1790–1811) to Reconstruction (1866–77). This remarkable depth of information is compiled from more than 300 digitized newspapers from 32 states published between 1803 and 1876. The compilation also features additional materials that will be immensely valuable to American studies scholarship; the Readex interface allows users to filter for such items as news/opinion, election returns, letters, poetry (including song), legislative acts or legal proceedings, prices, shipping news, advertisements, front page, maps, birth notices, matrimony notices, and death notices.
Searching seems straightforward and easy to use; since updating its platform and search interface more than a year ago, Readex has installed a link soliciting user feedback. The design offers the option of a simple search or an advanced search screen for Boolean searches. One can view results as a full list, defaulting to chronological order, or as a drop-down list sorted in reverse chronological order or best matches. Five tabbed limiters across the tops of results pages give users options to filter search terms (in addition to Article Types) by Dates and Eras, Newspaper Titles, Places of Publication, or Languages. Under each limiter are additional filters; e.g., under Dates and Eras, one can view results restricted to Eras in the History of the Caribbean, US Presidential Eras (from Thomas Jefferson to Ulysses S. Grant), or Eras in American History. Filter options under this latter era point to Early Republic (1790–1811), War of 1812 (1812–15), Era of Good Feelings (1816–22), Jacksonian Era (1823–42), Antebellum Period (1843–60), US Civil War (1861–65), and Reconstruction (1866–77). Another limiter under Newspaper Titles produces a very useful, printable list that specifies starting and ending dates and city and state of publication and allows users to limit searches to one (or multiple) newspapers; one can see at a glance the extent to which states have indexing coverage, the publication schedule, and for what dates content is missing. One of the oldest newspapers—and most complete—is the Worchester (MA) National Aegis, published 1801–76, with more than 3,300 issues. There is, not surprisingly, a very long tail of singleton newspaper issues included here too.
Because one can search classified ads, current prices of important commodities, and reports of births, marriages, and deaths, this robust tool is ideal not only for scholars tracing American political and presidential history but also for researchers at all levels seeking primary-source material concerning broad matters of government, laws, and social practices. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers. —D. Becker, Hennepin County Medical Center Medical Library"