Why use a reference source?
A reference source is a great place to get an overview of your topic. By carefully reading a detailed reference article you can:
- Get a solid grounding on the facts or background of an event, person, or time period
- Discover different ways to take on your topic
- Gather keywords, names, and dates for further searching
- Use the Selected Bibliography to start gathering your secondary sources
Finding a reference source: only available in print in the library
Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth CenturyCall Number: R 973.5 EnPublication Date: 2000This is only available in print in the reference section of the library.
Encyclopedia of America in the Twentieth CenturyCall Number: R 973.003Publication Date: 1995Available only in print in the library.
Great American Court Cases SeriesCall Number: R 349.73 GrPublication Date: 1999Available only in print in the library.
Encyclopedia of American Social HistoryCall Number: R 301.0973 EnPublication Date: 1993Available only in print in the library.
Encyclopedia of the American ConstitutionCall Number: [R 342.73 EnPublication Date: 2000This is available as an ebook (click the title for the link) and in print in the reference section of the library.
Finding a reference source: databases
- Gale ebooksThere is a collection of American History encyclopedias that you can search through whoch includes:
- Religious Controversies
- Gender Roles
- Economic History
- Revolts, Protests, and Rebellions
- American Decades (1900-2009)
or you can search all our Gale reference sources using the Basic Search.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
- Oxford Reference EncyclopediasIncludes the ORE of American History .
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new windowTry looking up an artist, city, country, or art movement.
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new windowTry looking up a composer, performer, city, place, or movement.