Niles' National Register

Object Details

Scope and Contents: The collection consists of two issues of the Niles' National Register. Includes articles on the American Colonization Society, B & O Railroad, the African Slave Trade, and the annexation of Texas.

Biographical / Historical: The Niles National Register was founded in Baltimore, MD in 1811 by Hezekiah Niles. The weekly publication covered national and international news and events, and provided non-partisan political coverage. The text-heavy paper contained no advertising, few illustrations, and no local news. Instead, the paper focused on commercial, agricultural, industrial, and political news broadly. In 1836, Niles gave control of the paper to his son, William Ogden Niles, due to his age and declining health. William changed the weekly's name from the Niles Weekly Register to the Niles National Register and moved the establishment to Washington, DC. Relocating the paper was unsuccessful so it returned to Baltimore in 1839. William Ogden Niles' tenure as editor also ended that year after his step-mother, who retained his father's legal title to the paper, sold it to Jeremiah Hughes. Hughes published the paper until July 1848, when George Beatty assumed editorship and moved the headquarters to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the paper ran for a year. The last full issue of the weekly appeared in June 1849 followed by abbreviated issues in September 1849.

Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic: United States; 19th century; Periodicals -- Publishing; Government and politics

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There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .