Topics in Chronicling America - Jack Johnson vs. James J. Jeffries

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Important Dates:

• July 4, 1910: The "Battle of the Century," takes place in a stadium built specifically for the fight in Reno, Nevada where Jack Johnson (Galveston Giant) defeats Jeffries (The Boilermaker) to become the first African American Heavyweight Champion of the World.
• July 5, 1910: Johnson’s victory after the fifteen round bout ignites race riots and celebrations across the nation.
• 1908-1915: Jack Johnson reigned as the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Suggested Search Terms:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Jack Johnson, James J. Jeffries (James Jeffries, Jim Jeffries), Big Fight

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Who Will Wear the Heavyweight Crown- Jeff or Johnson?", The Washington herald (Washington, DC), 26 June 1910, Sporting Section, image 36.
• "Fighters, Ready, Resting on Eve of Greatest Ring Battle", The San Francisco call (San Francisco, CA), 3 July 1910, page 47, image 47, cols.1-7.
• "To-Morrow Decides World's Heavyweight Championship", The times dispatch (Richmond, VA), 3 July 1910, Sporting Section, page 1, image 5.
• "Jeffries and Johnson Winding Up Their Days of Training", New-York Tribune (New York, NY), 3 July 1910, page 8, image 8.
• "Jeffries and Johnson Ready For Fight", The Morning examiner (Ogden, UT), 3 July 1910, page 2, image 2, cols. 1-7.
• "Johnson Wins World's Championship in 15th Round", The Ogden standard (Ogden City, UT), 4 July 1910, page 1, image 1.
• "The Big Fight By Rounds", The Paducah evening sun (Paducah, KY), 4 July 1910, page 1, image 1, cols. 1-4.
• "Fighters Await Gong for Championship Battle", The Washington herald (Washington, DC), 4 July 1910, page 9, image 9, cols. 1-7.
• "Jeff's lack of Skill in Boxing Helped Johnson Win", The San Francisco call (San Francisco, CA), 5 July 1910, page 17, image 17, col. 2.
• "Johnson Wins Fight in Fifteenth Round", Palestine daily herald (Palestine, TX), 5 July 1910, image 5, cols.1-3.
• "His Courage as White as his Skin is Black", The times dispatch (Richmond, VA), 5 July 1910, Sporting Section, image 5, col. 1.
• "Jeffries Meets Master", New-York Tribune (New York, NY), 5 July 1910, page 8, image 8, col. 1.
• "Victor Going After Spoil; Vanquished Back to Soil", The San Francisco call (San Francisco, CA), 6 July 1910, page 9, image 9.