College Libraries: History: U.S.: Reference

Reference sources - what are they?

Materials which are referred to for brief or general information. Examples include:

Background or overview synopses (encyclopedia)
Definitions (dictionary)
Synonyms (thesaurus)
Statistics
Biographical Details
Maps (atlas)

Reference sources - how to search them

Reference resources are organized in an order that aids searching (alphabetically, chronologically, etc). Most include an index which points users to the appropriate section. Tips for searching:

Decide on your search terms
Try searching with them
If not satisfied with the results, try searching a synonym or related idea

Things to watch out for:

Is the computer searching only the title/header of the entries or the full-text of the information? You will get more results, but more of them will be irrelabent if you are searching the full-text.
Are you searching for a proper noun (name, place,...)? Make sure that the spelling is correct and try variations if it originated in a foreign language.
Searching for something by date? This is trickier than it sounds. If possible, search for an event name or topic rather than a date, e.g. civil rights movement or hippies or flower children rather than 1960s.

Encyclopedias & Handbooks (Online)

Search a group of online encyclopedias on this topic.

Or, search individual titles below:

African-American Years: chronologies of American history and experience
E-book. Scribner. 2003. 1 vol. Includes memoirs, letters, family histories, newspapers, oral histories, and city directories, providing historical evidence to help understand and interpret past events.
American Civil War Reference Library
A collection of books, biography, primary sources. Pub. in 2000.
American Decades: primary sources
includes full or excerpted primary sources from the 20th century. Keyword search, or search by date.
American History Through Literature 1870-1920
American Revolution Reference Library
Americans at War
An encyclopedia. Pub. in 2005. "Illustrated articles cover both biographies and topics such as civil liberties, media, politics, popular culture, religion, memory and national identity, civic celebrations, monumental art, literature, the roles of women and minorities", etc.
Columbia companion to American history on film: how movies have portrayed the American past
Dictionary of American History
A comprehensive, 10 vol. reference work on all aspects of the history of the United States
Encyclopedia of African American History
E-book. ABC-Clio. 2010. 3 volumes. Documents African American culture and political activism from the slavery era through the 20th century.
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
E-book. Macmillan. 2006. A five-volume set and supplement covering all aspects of the African-American experience from 1619 to the present day.
Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy
3 vols. Pub. in 2002. "Essays by subject experts treat concepts and doctrines, policymaking, commerce and science, human rights and arms control, with specific articles on topics ranging from anti-imperialism to environmental diplomacy..."
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America
E-book. 2004. 3 vols.
Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts
E-book. ABC-Clio. 2010. 5 volumes. A comprehensive study of U.S. involvement in the modern Middle East.
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism
3 vols. Pub. in 2008. "Examines the anthropological, sociological, historical, economic, and scientific theories of race and racism in the modem era."
Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America
Pub. in 2004. A two-volume survey of the pursuit of leisure in the United States, from Colonial to modern times.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
Encyclopedia of the American Revolution: Library of Military History
A three-volume survey of the military aspects of the American Revolutionary War, covering the period 1763-1783.
Encyclopedia of the Great Depression
A 2-vol. set encompasses American history, beginning with the farm crisis of the mid-1920s, through the 1929 stock market crash, the gradual recovery during the 1930s with Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and World War II. Pub. in 2004.
Encyclopedia of the New American Nation
Pub. in 2006. Coverage starts just prior to the American Revolution and ends with the inauguration of Andrew Jackson in 1829.
Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars
E-book. ABC-Clio. 2009. 3 volumes. A comprehensive overview of the wars that saw the United States emerge as a world power
French and Indian War
An encyclopedia for students. Pub. in 2003. Includes some primary sources
Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History
2 vols. Pub. in 1999
Harlem Renaissance
A single volume encyclopedia. Pub in 1999. "Presents the people, places and times that defined an era and documents the launch of cultural development among African Americans in 1920s Harlem."
Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression
3 vols. Pub in 2002. Includes topics on specific issues or incidents related to the Great Depression in a global perspective.
Landmarks of the American Revolution: Library of Military History
2nd ed. 2006. Profiles historical sites and landmarks significant to the war.
Major Acts of Congress
3 vols. Pub. in 2004. "Examines landmark pieces of legislation, explaining the historical factors that led to the proposal of each act, looking at the adoption process and assessing each act's impact on American life."
Mexican-American War
A one-volume handbook for students. Pub. in 2003
Minorities: Race and Ethnicity in America
"A compilation of current and historical statistics with analysis on the topic of race and ethnicity in America, including a comprehensive summary of up-to-date research on the topic"
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States
Presidents: A Reference History
Pub. in 2002. "in-depth profiles of each American president and his administration. "
Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia
e-Book. ABC-Clio. 2011. 3 volumes. Traces the history of revolts and rebellions from the colonial era to the 20th century.
Tobacco in History and Culture: An Encyclopedia
E-Book. Scribner. 2004.
War of 1812
What Happened? An Encyclopedia of Events That Changed America Forever
E-Book. ABC-Clio. 2011. 4 volumes. Covers critically important event in American history from the 17th century to the present.
Witchcraft in America
Pub. in 2001. "Covers the history of witchcraft in the United States from the hysteria that facilitated the witch hunts during the colonial period to modern day followers of Wicca."

Major Print Encyclopedias

Dictionary of American History 8 vols.
Call Number: Ref E 174.D52 2003

Oxford Companion to United States History
Call Number: Ref E 174.O94 2001

The Reader's Companion to American History
Call Number: Ref E 174.R43 1991

Historical Atlas of the United States
Call Number: Ref G 1201.S1C28 2003

Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups
Call Number: Ref E 184.A1H35

Harvard Guide to African-American History
Call Number: Ref E 185.H326 2001

Encyclopedia of Multiculturalism, 6 vols.
Call Number: Ref E 184.A1E58 1994

Encyclopedia of American Social History
Call Number: Ref HN 57.E58 1993

Encyclopedia of American Economic History
Call Number: Ref HC 103.E52

Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy
Call Number: Ref JX 1407.E53

Encyclopedia of American Political History
Call Number: Ref E 183.E48 2001

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Latin America and the Caribbean
Call Number: Ref F 1406.C36 1985

Free-web Encyclopedias and Handbooks

Jewish Women's Archive: Jewish Women, a comprehensive historical encyclopedia

Historical Statistics

Historical Census Browser
Data drawn from historical volumes of the U.S. Census of Population and Housing.
Historical Statistics from U.S. Statistical Abstracts

History: U.S.: Reference

Reference sources - what are they?

Reference sources - how to search them

Encyclopedias & Handbooks (Online)

Major Print Encyclopedias

Free-web Encyclopedias and Handbooks

Historical Statistics

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