Chronicling America

API

Free API for historic US newspaper archives from the Library of Congress

Overview

The Chronicling America API provides RESTful endpoints to search and retrieve metadata, full-text (where available), and OCR results from millions of historic US newspaper pages. Key endpoints include /search/titles (newspaper titles), /search/pages (individual pages), /issues (specific issues), and /ocr (text extracts). Responses are in JSON format. Use cases include building historical research tools, genealogy apps, educational platforms for US history, or digital exhibits highlighting 19th-20th century news coverage of events like wars, elections, or social movements.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/about/api/')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful
JSON support
No Auth required
Historic metadata access
OCR text retrieval
Advanced search filters

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Chronicling America free to use?

Yes, the Chronicling America API is completely free for both non-commercial and commercial use, subject to the Library of Congress terms of service.

? Does it require an API Key?

No, the API does not require an authentication key—you can make requests directly without registration.

? What is the response format?

All responses from the Chronicling America API are in JSON format, ensuring compatibility with most web and mobile applications.

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Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category News

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free to use
⊕ Trusted Library of Congress source
⊕ Vast archival content
⊕ Easy integration

Cons

⊖ Rate-limited requests
⊖ Partial full-text coverage
⊖ Historical OCR inaccuracies
⊖ No real-time updates