Library: History: United States/American

United States History Research Databases

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JSTOR Why search here? Best for finding older, peer reviewed, scholarly articles in history, humanities and sciences. If you need current articles, use a different database.
ProQuest Central Why search here?A good place to start your research because it covers a broad range of topics. You'll find many source types here like, news, magazines, journal articles, videos, and more. 
Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law Why search here?A free resource with laws, court cases, books, and articles about slavery in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries. Covers materials published before 1920.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly (peer reviewed) journals, covering all subjects and many languages.
CQ Researcher Why search here? Provides in-depth reports on current and controversial issues, offering unbiased analysis, background, and pro/con perspectives to help students explore topics and support research with credible, balanced information.

Multidisciplinary eBook databases:

eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) Multidisciplinary eBooks representing a broad range of subjects.
Ebook Central (ProQuest) eBooks on a range of subjects such as business, information technology, education, engineering, health, history, humanities, life & physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

Learn more about finding and downloading eBooks:

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Alexander Street Videos (American History) "Key themes, events, and historical eras in U.S. History from the colonial period through the 21st Century. A vast collection of documentaries, newsreels, public affairs videos, and archival footage allows students and researchers to compare viewpoints and get personal and expert accounts on key topics such as the American Revolution, the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, and the Vietnam War-and people--presidents, key leaders and activists. Taken together, this rich combination allows students and scholars to study history in new ways, by comparing, for example, the footage, transcript, and tone of government perspectives (United News Newsreel) of the internment of Japanese-Americans in 1942 or D-Day in 1944 with the longer-term perspectives of documentaries like After Silence (Bullfrog Films) or D-Day: The Total Story (The History Channel)."

Films On Demand: Master Academic Package Full-length streaming videos in the humanities, social sciences, business, health, medicine, sciences, and mathematics fields.
ImageQuest (Britannica) Nearly 3 million rights-cleared images from more than 50 collections including Getty Images, the National Portrait Gallery of London, and the National Geographic Society.
Credo Reference Why search here? Offers full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and reference books across subjects, helping students start research, understand key concepts, and find reliable background information for papers and projects.

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Credo Reference Why search here? Offers full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and reference books across subjects, helping students start research, understand key concepts, and find reliable background information for papers and projects.
Britannica Academic Why search here? Offers reliable, up-to-date encyclopedia articles, images, maps, and videos across subjects, helping students start research, understand key topics, and find trusted information for assignments and projects.
Gale eBooks Why search here? A collection of encyclopedias and reference materials that covers multiple subject areas.

OneSearch

Find articles, eBooks, etc.

Using Google Scholar: Finding Peer Reviewed Resources (Transcript)

Selected Resources

American Historical Review Earlier years are available in the JSTOR database
Journal of American History Earlier years are available in the JSTOR database

Sage American History An OER with 30 chronological sections, colonial through modern times.
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Explore history from America's libraries and museums by place or date.
Duke University Libraries' Digital Collections Includes images, films and manuscripts with strengths in Southern history, American material culture, and Women's history.
History Engine "An educational tool that gives students the opportunity to learn history by doing the work—researching, writing, and publishing—of an historian."
Making of America Primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
National Archives and Records Administration
NYPL Digital Gallery: History and Geography Contains maps, photographs, historical documents, drawings, and more! Search by collection, such as African & Black History, or by category, such as politicians.
American Social History Project ASHP/CML challenges traditional ways that people learn about the past with its print, visual, and multimedia materials that explore the diverse social and cultural histories of the nation.

Library of Congress: Digital Collections Why search here? Best for topics in American history. Find primary sources like maps, photos, letters, diaries, and newspapers. Hear personal accounts of events, listen to sound recordings, and watch historic films.

HIS Course Assignment Help

Background Information

Granger Collection. (n.d.). Columbus: West Indies, 1492 [Fine Art].

American Indians A topic page from Credo Reference
American Revolution A topic page from Credo Reference
Christopher Columbus Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Civil War Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Cold War Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Constitution of the United States Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Famous Trials Website created by Professor Douglas O. Linder with original essays, trial transcripts and exhibits, maps, images, and other materials relating to the greatest trials in world history.
French and Indian War Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Mayflower Compact Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Reconstruction Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Slavery Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
Vietnam War Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!
War of 1812 Topic pages contain background information in many formats. It also pulls in resources from other Excelsior Library databases, making it a one-stop place to brush up on your topic!

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