A broadside is also called a "penny ballad," and it is a single sheet of paper printed on one side. It was a great way for people to get the word out about their cause or organization, especially in the 19th century. This collection from the Enoch Pratt Free Library brings together broadsides related to life in Maryland primarily between 1860 and 1865. These ditties and other pieces of doggerel...

Although broadsides may seem like a thing of the past, this Tennessee Virtual Archive mentions they are used still to this day, and have broadsides in their collection that are from the 1980s. Visitors should go to the "About the Collection" link to read some background on what broadsides were used for and how they were distributed. The information disseminated via broadsides was varied,...