Are you researching Virginia ancestors and trying to learn more about the society in which they lived? You may be interested in the Virginia Newspaper Project. This is a major research effort. Some of it is available online although there is much, much more available offline.
The newspapers currently under examination by the Project include the collections of: the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, the Library of Virginia, and the Virginia Historical Society. Quoting from the project's Web site: "Together, these collections comprise a resource of considerable breadth. Dating back to the Colonial period, including titles from almost all 50 states, as well as many international titles, the total collection (over 3700 have been examined, to date) of original and microform materials is quite impressive. These papers literally tell the tale of the nation, as well as reveal its shifting views of the world. The exhibits displayed here (compiled by Project staff from these resources) are meant to demonstrate the role that newspapers can play in various areas of research; highlight topical subjects, historical events, and the graphic arts; and underscore the need to preserve these materials for the use of future generations."
You probably will not discover the names of your ancestors on this Web site, but you will learn more about how to research old newspapers. To view the online information of the Virginia Newspaper Project, look at:
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwedo/vnp/index.htm