The Guardian and the Observer Archive

THE GUARDIAN (1821-2003) and its sister paper, The Observer (1791-2003) give readers online access to facts, firsthand accounts, and opinions of the day about the most significant and fascinating political, business, sports, literary, and entertainment events from the past two centuries. From Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo to the Russian Revolution to Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, these British historical newspapers bring history to life for researchers. The Guardian and The Observer have reputations for fearless reporting and controversial opinions. The Guardian was first published in response to the Peterloo Massacre. Originally known as the Manchester Guardian, it was a Saturday-only paper until the newspaper stamp duty was repealed in 1855. Businessmen who hated its progressive opinions would tear the paper in half, throw the commentary out the train window, and only read the portion containing stock prices. The Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday paper, was first published in 1791. Thought-provoking writers such as George Orwell, Vita SackvilleWest, Clive James, Philip Toynbee, and others were contributors, continuing a tradition of freedom of the press and providing serious coverage of politics and literature.