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Chronicling America
National Endowment for the Humanities

Newspaper Las Dos Repúblicas (Tucson, Ariz.) 1877-1879

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About Las Dos Repúblicas (Tucson, Ariz.) 1877-1879

Arizona’s first Spanish language newspaper was Las Dos Repúblicas, debuting in Tucson on May 13, 1877. The weekly four-page paper was published by Carlos Tully (sometimes named Charles Tully) who had started the first daily newspaper published in Tucson, the Bulletin with Louis C. Hughes, later governor of Arizona.

Each issue of Las Dos Repúblicas stated it was “El único periódico en Español en el Territorio, y el organo de los intereses sociales, mercantiles, mineros, y agricoios de la raza Española en Arizona, Nuevo Mejjco y los estados vecinos Mexicanos de Sonora y Chihuahua” (“The only newspaper in Spanish in the Territory, and the publication of the social, commercial, mining, and agricultural interests of the Spanish people in Arizona, New Mexico, and the neighboring Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua.”) The newspaper was filled with “Noticias de Mexico” (“News from Mexico”), which was often reprinted news from other Spanish language publications. It also contained editorials that commented on the political situation in Mexico. There were regular columns with small local community news items and announcements of births, deaths, marriages, and comings and goings, as well as many advertisements for local businesses. The newspaper carried some political news and sometimes endorsed candidates for Congress and local offices. Every issue included poems, and Tully intentionally published literary works by Mexican authors in the newspaper, as he described in the July 27, 1878, issue. 

In Los Tucsonenses: The Mexican Community in Tucson, 1854-1941, Thomas E. Sheridan described that Las Dos Repúblicas expressed a “conservative ideal of womanhood,” such as in articles like “Mision de la mujer” (“The Mission of Woman”) that explained the “proper role of a woman, wife, and mother.” Sheridan also pointed out that the newspaper “complained bitterly” about Chinese laborers in Arizona mines, “arguing that superior workers could be found among ‘the Mexicans of Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora.’”

In July 1878, the newspaper relocated its office and printing press, needing more space for its new printing materials. The editor described plans for the newspaper and what it would cover, including news from abroad, from Mexico, and from the U.S.; news from Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora on mining, agriculture, and cattle raising; and literary works in verse and prose. The masthead changed in August 1878 to a more ornate design.

On the front page of the October 8, 1878 issue, Las Dos Repúblicas shared news of a new Spanish language newspaper, El Fronterizo, to be published in Tucson by Tully’s friend and colleague, Carlos Velasco. El Fronterizo would go on to outlast Tully’s paper, continuing publication for over thirty more years.  By the end of 1879, Las Dos Repúblicas, the pioneering Spanish language newspaper in Arizona, had ceased publication.

Tully continued to publish or edit other Spanish language newspapers and was a founding member with Velasco of the civic organization Alianza Hispano-Americana. He was also secretary of the Arizona Pioneers’ Historical Society, an earlier name of the Arizona Historical Society. As Sheridan described: “Born into both the Mexican and Anglo worlds, Tully transformed himself into one of the most energetic representatives of Tucson’s bilingual, bicultural society.”

Research provided by the University of Arizona Libraries

Provided By: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

About this Newspaper

Title

  • Las Dos Repúblicas (Tucson, Ariz.) 1877-1879

Dates of Publication

  • 1877-1879

Created / Published

  • Tucson, Ariz. : C.H. Tully

Headings

  • -  Tucson (Ariz.)--Newspapers
  • -  Hispanic Americans--Arizona--Newspapers
  • -  Pima County (Ariz.)--Newspapers
  • -  Hispanic Americans
  • -  Arizona
  • -  Arizona--Pima County
  • -  Arizona--Tucson
  • -  United States--Arizona--Pima--Tucson

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  T. 1, no. 1 (mayo 13 de 1877)-
  • -  Ceased in 1879.
  • -  "Semanario politico, literario y de anuncios." (varies)
  • -  In Spanish.
  • -  Latest issue consulted: Tomo III, no. 21 (octubre 18 de 1879).

Medium

  • v. ; 58 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn95062653

OCLC Number

  • 32749449

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Las Dos Repúblicas Tucson, Ariz. -1879. (Tucson, AZ), Jan. 1 1877. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn95062653/.

APA citation style:

(1877, January 1) Las Dos Repúblicas Tucson, Ariz. -1879. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn95062653/.

MLA citation style:

Las Dos Repúblicas Tucson, Ariz. -1879. (Tucson, AZ) 1 Jan. 1877. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, aj.sunback.homes/item/sn95062653/.