U.S. History Resources:
                   A Guide to Selected Resources

 

 



The following is a selective list of U.S. History resources available in the Owen Library or accessible online.  It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide. Please consult a Reference Librarian for advice on the best sources and search strategy on your topic.

 

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

 

Dictionary of American History  2nd ed. Rev.               Reference  E174 .A43

James Truslow Adams’ comprehensive dictionary is useful for an introduction or overview of broad topics and concise descriptions of specific items.

 

Dictionary of American History  3rd ed.                                    Reference E174 .D52 2003

This multi-volume work by Stanley Kutler provides comprehensive coverage for topics in American history.

 

The American Revolution 1775-1783: An Encyclopedia   Reference E208 .A433 1993

Primary focus is the military history of the American Revolution. Also includes political and diplomatic themes, with examples of the impact of the war on society.

 

The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates  8th ed.     Reference E174.5 .C3 1987

Describes events in brief, chronologically from 986 to the present.

 

Dictionary of American English on Historical Principles    Reference PE2835 .C7 1940

An historical dictionary of words and phrases of American origin, used frequently in the U.S., or that have a connection with U.S. history.

 

Encyclopedia of American History                                 Reference E174.5 .M847 1976

Provides essential historical facts about American life and institutions. Events are organized chronologically and non-political aspects organized topically.

 

 

Indexes & Databases

 

African American Newspapers             Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

Provides access to a digital collection of African American newspapers, containing a large amount of information about the cultural life and history during the 19th century. Provides full-text coverage from 1827 to 1900.

 

America: History and Life                    Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

Indexes periodicals and includes citations referencing book reviews and dissertations.

 

American Civil War: Letters and Diaries    Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

This digital collection offers the Civil War historian access to memoirs, letters and diaries from many different sources, including previously unpublished material. Many different perspectives included in collection.

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1841-1902)     http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/eagle/index.htm

Provides indexing and full-text access to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1841 to the present. A digital project of the Brooklyn Public Library.

 

Early Encounters in North America     Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

Provides full-text access to primary documents about early encounters of North American Indian, European, American, and African peoples and cultures in North America from 1534-1860. Documents include letters, diaries, memoirs, accounts and images of early encounters. Main focus is on present day United States and Canada.

 

Evans Digital Edition                           Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

Based on the American Bibliography by Charles Evans, this full-text collection is a core resource for information about all aspects of life in the 17th and 18th century America. Coverage is 1639-1800.

 

New York Times Historical                   Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

Provides indexing and full-text access to the New York Times newspaper (1851-2001). It is part of the larger National Newspapers database, but must be searched separately.

 

Poole’s Plus: The Digital Index of the Nineteenth Century

                                                            Locate under Databases A-Z in the Digital Library

Provides indexing to 19th century books and periodicals. Does not provide full-text access. Material cited that is not owned by Owen Library may be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

 

 

Bibliographies & Guides

 

Guide to the Study of the United States; Representative Books Reflecting the Development of American Life and Thought                                               Reference Z1215 .U53

Extensive compilation of significant books from a broad field of subjects chosen on a particular aspect of life in the United States. Most sources include significant annotation.

 

Documents of American History  9th ed.                       Reference E173 .C66 1973

A compilation by Henry Steele Commager of official and quasi-official documents selected to illustrate American history from 1492.

 

Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States  2nd ed.

                                                                        Reference CD3020.D49 1988

Updates and revises Hamer’s A Guide to Archives and Manuscripts in the United States.                   

 

A Guide to American History                           Reference E178 .H35 1974

A useful 2 volume bibliographic guide to resources published prior to June 30, 1970. 

                       

A Guide to Archives and Manuscripts in the United States     Reference CD3022 .A45

This is a valuable guide to collections of papers, manuscripts, and archives in the United States, with brief descriptions of major holdings.

 

Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians

Reference Z1209.2 .U5H54 1982

 

Guide to the Study of the United States; Representative Books Reflecting the Development of American Life and Thought.                                              Reference Z1215 .U53

A bibliography offering an extensive list of prominent books on life in the United States. Most entries are annotated.

 

Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog            Reference CD3026 1990

Lists more than 2,000 microfilm publications available from the National Archives. Microfilm is available on loan through Interlibrary Loan or by purchase.

 

 

Biographical Resources

 

Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography  2nd ed.            Reference CT213 .C36 1995

Provides information about prominent Americans during all periods of history. Includes occupational index and an index about people mentioned in articles about others.

 

Dictionary of American Biography (DAB)                   Reference E176 .D56 1964

Provides biographical articles on deceased individuals who made important contributions to American society

 

Encyclopedia of American Biography                                     Reference CT213 .G37 1974

Provides articles on prominent Americans, divided into two parts. The first part describes each individual objectively; the second part is evaluative regarding the influence of the individual written by different authorities.

 

National Cyclopedia of American Biography              Reference E176 .W588 1972

A very comprehensive resource for notable Americans, living and deceased.  Emphasis is on individuals in government, finance, industry, and the professions, primarily since 1850.

 

Notable American Women, 1607-1950; a Biographical Dictionary  (1971)

                                                                                    Reference CT3260.N57

Notable American Women: The Modern Period; a Biographical Dictionary  (1980)

Reference CT3260. N573

These two resources survey the lives of women who have made a significant contribution to American history. All women, with the exception of the First Ladies, were selected due to their distinction in their own right.

 

Who’s Who in America                                                                         Reference E176.W642

An excellent biographical directory of prominent living Americans in all fields.


Atlases

 

The American Heritage Pictorial Atlas of United States History          G1201 .S1A4 1966
Coverage in American history is from the Ice Age through the 1960’s. Emphasis on military history, including maps of battles in the Revolution and Civil War.

 

Atlas of American History                                                        E179.5 .A3                  

U.S. history seen through a chronological arrangement of maps, period illustrations and photographs. Colonial era through 1992.

 

Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States     Reference Atlas G1200 .P3
Comprehensive U.S. historical atlas still useful and authoritative for social, economic, political, and military history up to 1920.

 

 

Additional Resources on the Internet

 

American Journeys: Eyewitness Accounts of Early American Exploration and Settlement

http://www.americanjourneys.org/

This digital library from the Wisconsin Historical Society is a large collection of eyewitness accounts of the exploration of North America, from the sagas of the Vikings in 1000 A.D. to diaries of pioneers in the American West in the 19th century. The searchable database includes books, original manuscripts and travel narratives.

 

 

American Memory Project                               http://memory.loc.gov/

Consists of collections of primary source and archival material related to American culture and history. An on-going project at the Library of Congress—check regularly.

 

Archiving Early America                                  http://www.earlyamerica.com/

Examines the world of early America through the media of the day. A searchable database. The digital library contains brief images of portraits, places, events, early scenes, people, battles, military, maps, documents, and other images.

 

The Charters of Freedom                     http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/charters.html

This National Archives web site contains transcriptions and digitized images of early documents of the American Republic. Founding Fathers Page includes brief biographies of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

 

A Chronology to U.S. Historical Documents    http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/

This digital library sponsored by the University of Oklahoma College of Law provides documents in full-text arranged chronologically by century. Examples of documents found on this site include: Iroquois Constitution, Monroe Doctrine, Constitution of the Confederate States, German and Japanese Surrender Documents of World War II.

 

Douglass – Archives of American Public Address   http://douglassarchives.org/

An archive of significant speeches important to U.S. political history. Searchable or browsable by speaker, title, date, or controversy/movement.

 

From Revolution to Reconstruction                     http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/

An ongoing hypertext history of the U.S. “An Outline of American History” covers the colonial period to the Bush presidency. Links may be made to hundreds of full text documents, including presidential speeches, the Federalist Papers, Confessions of Nat Turner, the Mayflower Compact, and the Northwest Ordinance.

 

Making of America                                          http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/

Digital library of primary sources in American social history from the Antebellum period through Reconstruction (1850-1877). Subject areas include education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. Contains approximately 1600 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.

 

Pennsylvania Archives Series Online 

http://www.iarchives.com/anc_04/search.jsp?toc=b6ssqujqas8

Provides full-text access to the Pennsylvania Archives Series, with a searchable index.              

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

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