Colonial Era Advertisements

Early Day Ads

A revealing glimpse into the the life of early America can be found in the classified ads that appeared in the newspapers of the day.

The first ad in the Boston News-Letter in 1704 asking readers to list any houses, ships or goods for sale met with resounding success. The concept spread like wildfire, adopted by a growing number of newspapers throughout the colonies.

The colonial era advertisements you see here are from newspapers in our archives — including The Columbian Centinel, The Pennsylvania Gazette, The Boston News-Letter and The Connecticut Courant.

Colonial Era Advertisements

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