The digitized content of the Abraham Lincoln Newspaper and Periodical Collection consists of reproductions of newspapers and other published periodicals related to Abraham Lincoln.

There are three subcollections that make up the Abraham Lincoln Newspaper and Periodical Collection. The Campaign Plain Dealer consists of a 1960 facsimile reproduction of The Campaign Plain Dealer and Popular Sovereignty Advocate, a weekly paper out of Cleveland, Ohio created to support Democrat Stephen A. Douglas’s 1860 campaign for the presidency. The Railsplitter consists of a 1950 facsimile reproduction of The Railsplitter, a weekly paper out of Cincinnati, Ohio created to support Republican Abraham Lincoln’s successful bid for the presidency in 1860. The IHLC Collection of New York Herald Facsimiles consists of eighteen commemorative facsimile advertisements printed on interior pages of reproductions of The New York Herald, announcing Lincoln’s assassination on April 15, 1865. These facsimile reproductions were created by companies to advertise their products to consumers. The subcollections within the Abraham Lincoln Newspaper and Periodical Collection can be accessed from this page under the subcollections heading. Individual issues of each publication can be found by browsing and searching within these pages.

The digitized content of the Abraham Lincoln Newspaper and Periodical Collection contains three subcollections of facsimile reproductions of newspapers. Topics covered within these facsimiles are the 1860 election, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Republican politics, Democratic politics, slavery, secession, and Lincoln’s assassination. The facsimiles also include advertisements from companies in the late 1890s and early 1900s.

The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Abraham Lincoln Newspaper and Periodical Collection. The collection was completely digitized in 2025. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.