Thanks to our partners at The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, we are thrilled to announce new issues of The News (Chapel Hill, N.C.) and The News or Orange County (Hillsboro, N.C.) are now available online!
These papers span from January 1915 to December 1944, covering local and global events, enticing advertisements, thrilling short stories, and uplifting sermons. Throughout all these editions, World War I and II loomed over Chapel Hill residents as a source of stress and anxiety.
World War I erupted across Europe after Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austria-Hungary Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The United States remained neutral until April 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany after repeated maritime attacks on American ships. The decision to battle across the ocean in Europe meant that men would have to join the armed forces and fight.
The News followed the increasing American military presence closely. By May 10, 1917, large groups of male students from the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill had already departed for Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, to report for duty. The front page of the paper’s May 31, 1917 edition has news of the war and messages urging men to register for the Selective Service. World War I began to consume the paper with more frequent updates from the front lines and continued calls for men in the armed forces. Those who could not serve were encouraged to volunteer with the Red Cross. The News was also responsible for sharing the draft numbers with their readers, with the selection taking up a two-page spread in the July 26, 1917 edition. The entire country felt the effects of the war, and Orange County ensured their subscribers had access to the latest news.
Stories about World War I did not disappear after Armistice Day. Peace talks soon occupied the world stage as leaders from across the globe arrived in Paris, France, to negotiate. The News reported on progressing peace talks across the Atlantic, sharing stories of fragile alliances and international trials. Allied powers placed the majority of the blame on Germany and used the Paris Peace Talks to assign heavy punishments to their enemy. The May 22, 1919, issue of The News reported on the Kaiser’s troubled trial and the German government’s staunch objections to potential treaty terms. Negotiations dragged on for a year, and by the time President Wilson returned from France in July 1919, the treaty was still not finalized. The News reported Wilson’s homecoming and desire to see the United States enter the League of Nations.
The US re-entered a period of isolation following the Treaty of Paris. Wilson’s dream to join the League of Nations ultimately failed, and America retreated from international politics. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, thrust the United States back onto the world stage as they officially entered the conflict. The 1944 editions of The News highlight citizens’ war efforts and news from the front. The patriotic slogan “One Week Nearer Victory” is at the top of the front page of each edition in an attempt to inspire Orange County residents. Advertisements for victory gardens, war bonds, and rationing became weekly staples in the paper. Propaganda posters were commonplace in the newly minted The News of Orange County (renamed in February of 1944), reminding Americans to stay strong in their fight against foreign enemies. Once again, the entire country had become involved in the conflict and quest for victory.
These issues of The News and The News of Orange County highlight how world conflicts rocked American soil. Orange County residents sacrificed time, money, and men to support the American efforts overseas, and the staff at the newspaper were there to capture the stories every time.
View other issues of The News of Orange County on our website here.
To learn more about The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, visit their website here.
