United States History Research Guide
Reference Materials
Reference materials provide background or factual information on a topic. Most reference sources reside in the Reference area on the Lower Level of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. Some particularly useful United States history reference sources follow.
| Atlases | | Bibliographies | | Biographical Resources | | Chronologies | | Dictionaries |
| Directories, Guides and Handbooks | | Encyclopedias | | Indexes | | Statistics | Atlases
Atlas of American History (UM Reference G1201.S1 A8 1984 +)
Maps present U.S. history chronologically, emphasizing "discovery, exploration, settlement, and territorial organization..." Concluding chapters contain maps relating to the U.S. as a world power and to social and economic topics.
Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States (UM Reference E179.5 .P28)
Published in 1932, this atlas discusses the historical sources for geographical information, and provides maps on many topics, including the natural environment, cartography, exploration, population and settlement, politics, cultural development, economic history, plans of cities, and military history.
Historical Atlas of the United States (UM Reference G1201.S1 H5 2003 +)
Maps arranged chronologically, including maps relating to "women's history, ethnic history, labor history, ethnic and racial borderlands, popular culture, and consumption."
Mapping America's Past: A Historical Atlas (UM Reference G1201.S1 C3 1996 +)
Chronological arrangement of maps, covering topics in social and cultural history, as well as political and military history.
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Bibliographies
A Guide to the Study of the United States of America; Representative Books Reflecting the Development of American Life and Thought (UM W.E.B. Du Bois Z1215 .U53)
Compiled by the Library of Congress. Provides an annotated bibliography of works published through 1955 on all aspects of American life, including literature, history, science, medicine, entertainment, education, religion, music, art, and politics. See also Supplement, 1956-65 (UM W.E.B. Du Bois Z1215 .U53 Suppl., 1956-1965).
Handbook for Research in American History: a Guide to Bibliographies and Other Reference Works (UM W.E.B. Du Bois Z1236 .P78 1994)
Selective guide to library catalogs, bibliographies, periodical indexes, dictionaries and encyclopedias, and other guides to locating many types of materials, including manuscripts, newspapers, dissertations, biographies, oral histories, government documents, legal sources, and atlases and maps.
Harvard Guide to American History (UM Reference Z1236 .H3 1974)
Topical and chronological lists of materials, published through 1970, that are "likely to be most immediately useful to the searcher into political, social, constitutional, and economic history."
Pamphlets in American History: a Bibliographic Guide to the Microform Collection (UM Microforms Guides Z1236 .P27 1979)
Guide to the comprehensive microfiche collections (UM Microfiche Storage 594) of pamphlets on the following subjects: Revolutionary War; Indians; Women; General Biography; Revolutionary War Biography; Tariffs and Free Trade; Labor; Civil Liberties; Cooperative Societies; Finance; Mexican War; Socialism; War of 1812; Catholicism and Anti-Catholicism; Spanish-American War; Mormons and Mormonism; Civil War; and European War.
Reader's Guide to American History (UM Reference Z1236 .R43 1997 +)
Short essays on 600 events and individuals describe and assess secondary sources in U.S. history.
Writings on American History (UM W.E.B. Du Bois Z1236.W95)
Annual bibliography, published from 1902 to 1990, "covering current periodical literature on American history..."
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Biographical Resources
American Biographical Index (UM/Microforms Guides CT211 .A45 1993 +)
Index to individuals who appear in the American Biographical Archive (UM Microfiche Storage 616). Entries give fiche and frame numbers, locating the specific information in the archive.
*American National Biography Online
Online version of American National Biography (UM Reference CT213 .A68 1999), a 24-volume set containing brief essays with bibliographies of works about the lives of thousands of significant individuals in all aspects of American life and history.
*Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Online version of Biography and Genealogy Master Index (UM W.E.B. Du Bois Z5301 .B52 and .B521) to millions of biographical entries published in dictionaries, enyclopedias, and other reference works.
*Biography Resource Center
Biographies from the Dictionary of American Biography (see below) and many other sources.
Concise Dictionary of American Biography (UM Reference CT213 .D564 1980 +)
Single volume abridgment of the biographies in the Dictionary of American Biography (see next entry).
Dictionary of American Biography (UM Reference CT213 .D55)
Brief essays and bibliographies on notable Americans. 20-volume set updated by supplements; Comprehensive Index (UM Reference CT213 .D55 Index v.1-10 Suppl.1-10). Also included in *Biography Resource Center.
Encyclopedia of American Biography (UM Reference CT213 .E53 1996)
Each biographical entry in this volume concludes with an expert's evaluation of the individual's career and life.
Who Was Who in America (UM Reference CT213.W622)
Provides biographical sketches of individuals notable in U.S. history. Index (UM Reference CT213.W6221).
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Chronologies
American Decades (UM Reference E169.12.A419 1994 +)
Cover decades of the 20th century. Each volume contains chronologies and articles on many aspects of American life. Available online in the *Gale Virtual Reference Library.
American Eras (UM Reference E169.1 .A47 1997 +)
Cover eras of U.S. history from pre-17th century to the end of the 19th century. Each volume contains chronologies and articles on aspects of life during the time period.
The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates (UM Reference E174.5 .C3 1997)
Events are listed chronologically and concurrently in four broad categories: the arts; political developments; business, education, science, religion; and sports and social issues.
Great Dates in United States History (UM Reference E174.5 .G72 1994)
Chronology of key dates arranged topically within each time period.
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Dictionaries
Concise Dictionary of American History (UM Reference E174 .D522 1983 +)
Brief entries present essential information on events and concepts.
*Credo Reference
Searchable database of full-text reference works, including historical and biographical dictionaries.
Dictionary of American History (UM Reference E174 .D52 2003 +)
10-volume set contains brief essays about "facts, events, trends, or policies of American history." Volume 9 presents a selection of archival maps and primary source documents. Available online in the *Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Dictionary of American History: From 1763 to the Present (UM Reference E174 .T47 2000)
Brief descriptions of "people, institutions, events and ideas of national historical significance."
Dictionary of Concepts in History (UM Reference D13 .R49 1986)
Defines and discusses "key concepts of contemporary historical analysis." Entries include bibliographic references.
*Oxford Reference Online
Searchable database of full-text reference works, including historical and biographical dictionaries.
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Directories, Guides and Handbooks
Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada (UM Reference E172.D51)
Arranged geographically, this directory lists 13,000 organizations.
Directory of History Departments and Organizations in the United States and Canada (UM Reference D16.3.G83)
Contact information for academic history departments and historical organizations, and for historians affiliated with them. Abbreviated online edition includes links to departmental and organizational web sites.
Grants, Fellowships, and Prizes of Interest to Historians (UM W.E.B. Du Bois D16.25.A5)
The 2000/2001 edition lists more than 450 "organizations that offer support to historians." The updated online edition is only available to members of the American Historical Association.
The History Highway 2000: a Guide to Internet Resources (UM W.E.B. Du Bois D16.255.C65 H58 2000)
Annotated list of thousands of Web sites "determined to be reliable and useful for the serious study of history." Section on United States history, and many topical sections. Also lists sites relating to specific aspects of U.S. history.
The Longman Handbook of Modern American History, 1763-1996 (UM Reference E174 .C66 1998)
Brings together "chronological, statistical and tabular information" relating to political, diplomatic, social, and economic history.
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Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of American Historical Documents (UM Reference E173 .E54 2004)
Significant primary source documents are arranged topically within each era of U.S. history.
Encyclopedia of American History (UM Reference E174.5 .E52 1996)
Volume contains four sections: a chronology of political and military events; topical chronologies on other aspects of American life; biographies of notable people; and an overview of the structure of the federal government.
Encyclopedia of American History (UM Reference E174 .E53 2003 +)
Each of the 10 volumes in this set covers an era of U.S. history, presenting "the most important individuals, events, and topics..."
The Oxford Companion to United States History (UM Reference E174 .O94 2001)
Brief entries on topics and individuals in political, diplomatic, military, social, and cultural history.
The Penguin Encyclopedia of American History (UM Reference E174 .P44 2003)
Brief entries describe topics in political, social, economic, and military history.
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Indexes
*America: History and Life
Online version of America: History and Life (UM W.E.B. Du Bois Z1236 .A48, Z1236 .A481, and Z1236 .A4811). Citations and abstracts for journal articles, dissertations, and book reviews relating to United States and Canadian history, published from 1954 to present.
C.R.I.S.: the Combined Retrospective Index Set to Journals in History, 1838-1974 (Five College Depository UC200124, UC200122, & UC200126)
Volumes 5-9 of this set cover articles about United States history published in 243 English-language periodicals. The index is arranged by chronological and subject categories.
Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, 1890-1899, with Supplementary Indexing, 1900-1922 (UM Reference AI3 .N71)
Index to authors and subjects in 51 general interest and literary magazines. Also available online as part of *Readers' Guide Retrospective.
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (UM Reference AI3 .P7 1963)
Subject index to articles in 479 American and English periodicals published from 1802 to 1906. Cumulative Author Index (UM Reference AI3 .P72).
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (UM Reference AI3.R28)
Subject and author index to general interest magazines. Also available online: *Readers' Guide Retrospective covers 1890 to 1982; and *Readers' Guide Abstracts covers 1983 to the present.
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Statistics
*Historical Statistics of the United States: Earliest Times to the Present
Online version of a 5-volume work (UM Reference HA202 .H57 2006), updating the next entry. Tables may be searched, customized, and downloaded.
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (UM Reference Desk HA202 .A385 1975 +)
Data arranged by subjects: population; vital statistics and health and medical care; migration; labor; prices; income, wealth, and expenditure; social statistics; land, water, and climate; agriculture; forestry and fisheries; and minerals. A PDF version is available online at the Statistical Abstracts Web site.
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