African-American Newspapers: The 19th Century This link opens in a new windowContains information about cultural life and history during the 1800s and including first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day, including the Mexican War, Presidential and Congressional addresses, Congressional abstracts, business and commodity markets, the humanities, world travel and religion. The collection also provides a great number of early biographies, vital statistics, essays and editorials, poetry and prose, and advertisements reflecting the African-American experience.