More than 405

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

s were founded in Washington, D.C., during the 18th and 19th centuries. They included daily, weekly, and monthly

newspapers A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports ...

, mostly published in English, with a few in German and one in French. Many reported on news of national government affairs, since

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, is the capital seat of the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. Thomas Jefferson helped establish some of the early newspapers. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, some newspapers were founded and published in military camps and hospitals within Washington, D.C., including Brookland,

Tenleytown Tenleytown is a historic neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, D.C. History In 1790, locals began calling the neighborhood "Tennally's Town" after area tavern owner John Tennally. Over time, the spelling has evolved and by the 19th century th ...

, Carver General Hospital,

Finley General Hospital Finley General Hospital was a Union Army hospital which operated near Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. It operated from 1862 to 1865. The hospital was set up with 1,061 beds. On December 17, 1864, 755 beds were occupied. Location The prec ...

Armory Square Hospital The Armory Square Hospital formally known as the District Armory or Armory of the District of Columbia was a military hospital for the Union Army located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which operated from 1862 to 1865. It stood at the i ...

, and Kalorama. Most of these newspapers ceased publication before 1900, but a few survived to the 20th century, including the '' Evening Star,'' and at least one to the 21st century: ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''.

Newspapers by founding date

1700s

Georgetown, originally part of the state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, was the first populated place in

The first newspapers appeared in Georgetown, which became an independently municipal government within the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, along with the

City of Washington The District of Columbia was created in 1801 as the federal district of the United States, with territory previously held by the states of Maryland and Virginia ceded to the federal government of the United States for the purpose of creating its ...

, the

City of Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

( retroceeded to Virginia in 1846), and the newly created County of Washington and

County of Alexandria Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county i ...

(retroceded to Virginia in 1847, now Arlington County, Virginia). See Defunct newspapers of Virginia for newspapers that were part of the District and then became part of Virginia.

18001829

Between 1800 and 1829, 68 newspapers were founded in the area that is now Washington, D.C. All of these newspapers ceased printing by 1891. National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser Oct 18, 1800

National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser Oct 18, 1800

18301859

There were 143 newspapers founded in Washington, D.C. between 1830 and 1859. The ''Daily Evening Star'', founded in 1852, continued publication under several different names until it ceased publication in 1981, as the ''

Washington Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the Washington ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday Star ...

''.

18601899

Washington Post and Union masthead 18780416

There were 184 newspapers founded in Washington, D.C. between 1860 and 1899. This included newspapers found at Union military camps and hospitals during the American Civil War. ''

'', founded in 1877, continues to be published as a national newspaper in the 21st century. Several African American-owned newspapers were founded during reconstruction in Washington, D.C., including ''The National Savings Bank'' in 1868 and the ''

New National Era ''New National Era'' (1870–1874) was an African American newspaper, published in Washington D.C. during the Reconstruction Era in the decade after the American Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. Originally known as the ''New Era'', the ...

'' and ''New Era'' in 1870.

Front pages

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Citation , location = Washington, D.C. , publisher=Government Printing Office , title=Washington, City and Capital , year= 1937 , author=

Federal Writers' Project The Federal Writers' Project (FWP) was a federal government project in the United States created to provide jobs for out-of-work writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal program. It ...

, series = American Guide Series , chapter-url= https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b3850087?urlappend=%3Bseq=200 , via= HathiTrust , chapter= Washington Journalism , pages= 170+ , hdl=2027/uc1.b3850087?urlappend=%3Bseq=200 Defunct newspapers published in Washington, D.C. Newspapers published in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.-related lists Defunct newspapers published in the United States