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U.S. History
Guides to Information | Encyclopedias
| Biographies | Bibliographies
| Indexes | Primary
Sources | Statistics | Atlases
| Other Libraries | Internet
See also related guides such as those on African
American Studies, Asian
American Studies, Chicano/Latino
Studies, Native
American Studies, and Women in
History.
Most of these works are located in the Green Library Information
Center (IC) located on the first floor of the east wing of Green
Library.
Guides to Information can help you get started.
The American Historical Association's Guide to Historical
Literature, 3rd ed. (Green Library Information Center Ready
Reference Z6201.A55 1995) Sections 39-44 in vol. 2 cover U.S.
history. This guide selects and lists, with commentary, "the finest
and most useful books and articles available in every field of historical
scholarship." Each section begins with an introductory essay.
Harvard Guide to American History (Green Library Information
Center Z1236.F77 1974) Bibliographic guide and finding aids from
colonial times to post WWII.
United States History: A Selective Guide to Information Sources
(Green Library Information Center Z1236.B57 1994) a guide to reference
sources for U.S. history.
Women in U.S. History : A Resource Guide (Green Library
Information Center Z7964 .U49 H364 2000)
Encyclopedias can provide useful descriptions, overviews, and
lists of recommended reading on a topic.
General
Dictionary of American History, 3rd. ed. (Green Library
Information Center Ready Reference E174 .D52 2003) the latest
version of a classic encyclopedia of U.S. history with articles
of varying lengths written by historians. Includes brief bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of American History. Facts on File (Green Library
HASRC E174 .E53 2002)
Encyclopedia of American Social History (Green Library
Information Center HN57.E58 1992) Lengthy essays on topics such
as race, ethnicity, regionalism, labor, family, technology, popular
culture, education, etc. with good bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of American Economic History, 1980 (Green
Library SSRC HC103.E52) Substantial essays by specialists
on various aspects of "the collective American economic experience."
Includes bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of the American Judicial System (Green
Library Information Center & Stacks KF154.E53 1987) Lengthy
essays cover the history, institutions, personnel, and types of
law. Includes bibliographies.
The Encyclopedia of American Political History (Green Library
Information Center E183 .E48 2001)
Encyclopedia of American Political History (Green
Library Information Center & Stacks E183.E5 1984) Longer
articles detailing major issues, themes, institutions, processes
and developments. Includes bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience
(Green Library Information Center BL2525.E53 1988) Scholarly essays
look at "the total scope of religious activity" and its impact on
life in all of North America throughout history.
Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century
(Green Library Information Center E740.7.E53 1996) Sizeable essays
by leading historians examine the major themes of the 20th century:
people, politics, foreign involvement, science, technology & medicine,
the economy, and culture. Includes bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations (Green Library
Information Center E183.7.E53 1997) "comprehensive survey that examines
the myriad ways in which Americans and their government interacted
with the world."
A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government (Green Library Information
Center Ready Reference JK9 .H57 1998 )
A Companion to American Thought (Green Library Information
Center E169.C685 1995) contains essays that cover "major concepts
and thinkers in the diverse traditions of American thought" and
the "key debates in the contemporary intellectual life of the United
States." Suggestions for "further reading" follow each essay.
Chronologies
Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates, 9th ed.
(Green Library Information Center Ready Reference E174.5.C3
1997) Chronological and thematic arrangement of events in North
America from 986 to 1992.
American Decades (Green Library Information Center
E169.12.A4__ number varies slightly) each volume chronicles a decade
in the 20th century from perspectives "ranging from business to
medicine, from the arts to sports."
Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the
New World, 1492 to the Present (Green Library Information
Center E18.75.M374 1998)
What American Women Did, 1789-1920 : A Year-by-Year Reference
(Green Library Information Center HQ1154 .C67 2001)
Chronology of Labor in the United States (Green Library
Information Center HD6508 .W74 2003)
Chronological History of U.S. Foreign Relations (Green Library
SSRC E183.7 .B745 2003)
Special Topics
Encyclopedia of Women in American History (Green Library
Information Center HQ1410 .E53 2002)
Handbook of American Women's History (Green Library
Information Center HQ1410 .H36 2000) provides "entries for those
events, organizations, concepts, and individuals" central to the
history of women in the United States.
Native Americans: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and
Peoples (Green Library Information Center E77.P89 1988) 2
vols.
Atlas of the North American Indian, rev. ed. (Green
Library Information Center E77.W195 2000) presents information on
Native North Americans in the U.S., Canada, and Middle American
using text, as well as maps.
American Indians (Green Library Information Center
E76.2.A45 1995) Covers a wide range of topics "including personages,
tribes, organizations, historical events, cultural traditions, and
contemporary issues" arranged alphabetically.
Handbook of North American Indians (Green Library
Information Center E77.H25) A projected 20-volume set to cover the
"prehistory, history, and cultures of the aboriginal peoples of
North America."
The Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
(Green Library Information Center E185.E54 1996) Nearly two-thirds
of the entries are biographical. The rest deal with "events, historical
eras, legal cases, areas of cultural achievement..., professions,
sports, and places." Large essays by well-known scholars look at
important events and issues.
Slavery in America : From Colonial Times to the Civil War :
An Eyewitness History. Facts on File (Green Library Information
Center E441 .S36 2000)
Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: History
(Green Library Information Center E184.S75H365 1993, v. 2) Substantial
essays on "the most significant aspects of Hispanic culture in the
United States."
The Asian American Encyclopedia (Green Library Information
Center E184.O6A827 1995) Entries of varying lengths explore "the
histories and cultures of this diverse community."
Japanese American History (Green Library Information
Center E184.J3J3355 1993) Contains "a narrative historical overview,
a chronology of Japanese American history and dictionary entries
pertaining to the history of Japanese Americans."
Jewish-American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia
(Green Library Information Center E184.J5J48 1992) Covers a wide
range of topics including historical events and figures, literature
and arts, religious life, organizations, and contributions to public
life.
The Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia (Green Library
Information Center E111.O774 1992) Provides a "panoramic view of
the age of European exploration from the late fifteenth century
to the middle of the seventeenth century." Includes articles on
"indigenous ecologies and cultures" as well as the impact "of invasion,
conquest, enslavement, and disease."
Encyclopedia of the North American Colonies (Green
Library Information Center E45.E53 1993) Scholarly essays looks
at the colonies from a variety of perspectives, including topics
such as the first Americans, racial interaction, families, religion,
folkways, economic life, labor systems, government and law, the
arts, language, and literature.
America's Wars (Green Library Information Center E181 .A94
2002)
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution
(Green Library Information Center E208.B635 1991) Articles written
by specialists cover "all of the major topics related to the Revolution"
including biographies and a chronological table.
The American Revolution : An Eyewitness History. Facts on
File (Green Library Information Center E275 .A2 B87 2001)
A Companion to the American Revolution (Green Library HASRC
E208 .C67 2000)
Encyclopedia of the American Civil War : A Political, Social, and
Military History (Green Library Information Center E468 .H47 2000)
The United States in the First World War: An Encyclopedia
(Green Library Information Center D510.U65 1995) Covers domestic
issues as well as military in entries of varying length with short
bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution (Green Library
Information Center KF4548.E53 1986; Law has 2000 ed.) Entries
arranged in alphabetical order cover doctrinal concepts of constitutional
law, people, judicial decisions, public acts, and historical periods.
Constitutional Amendments, 1789 to the Present (Green Library
Information Center KF4557 .C665 2000)
Student's Guide to Landmark Congressional Laws on Civil Rights
(Green Library Information Center KF4749 .P626 2002)
The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress (Green
Library Information Center JK1067.E63 1995) Comprehensive essays
cover major themes related to Congress including its history. These
are complemented by shorter articles on a wide variety topics.
Encyclopedia of the American Presidency (Green Library
Information Center JK511.E53 1993) Articles from multidisciplinary
perspectives cover each president's life in office, the powers and
prerogatives of the office, and the multiple roles of the President.
Guide to the Presidency, 3rd. ed. (Green Library Information
Center JK516 .C57 2002) Comprehensive guide explaining origin, evolution,
and contemporary workings of the presidency.
Guide to U.S. Elections CQ (Green Library Information Center
Ready Reference JK1967 .C662 2001)
Congress and the Nation (Green Library Information
Center & SSRC KF49.C65) 1945+ Covers national government
and politics during a given presidential term.
Congressional Quarterly Almanac (Latest 10 years in
Green Library Information Center JK1.C663; earlier issues in Stacks;
SSRC has 1957+) 1945-present. Highlights of individual Congressional
sessions.
Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court (Green Library Information
Center KF8742.W567 1990; Law has 1997 ed.) Multifaceted work
which offers history and major decisions of the court.
Encyclopedia of the American Left, 2nd ed. (Green
Library Information Center HX86.E58 1998) Alphabetically arranged
entries highlight the history of the American Left, placing "a strong
emphasis upon radicals--anarchists, socialists, and communists."
A Companion to 19th-century America (Green Library Information
Center E338 .C85 2001)
Encyclopedia of the Great Depression and the New Deal (Green
Library Information Center & HASRC E806 .C543 2001)
The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s (Green Library
Information Center E841 .C575 2001)
The 1960s Cultural Revolution (Green Library Information
Center E841 .M37 2000)
The Guide to United States Popular Culture (Green Library
Information Center E169.1 .D399 2001)
The Oxford History of the American West (Green Library
Information Center F591.O95 1994) Chapters deal with larger concepts
and themes in the history of the American West, arranged chronologically
with bibliographic notes.
Advances and Innovations in American Daily Life, 1600s-1930s
(Green Library Information Center E161 .G76 2002)
The History of Science in the United States : An Encyclopedia
(Green Library Information Center Q127 .U6 H57 2001)
See also Finding Biographical
Information and Indexes
to Biographical Information--a list of library resources at
Stanford.
American National Biography
(Green Library Information Center CT213.A68 1999) a successor to
the Dictionary of American Biography
that updates the entries and adds new ones, bringing it's coverage
up to those who died prior to 1996. See the online
version for updates.
Biography
Resource Center click Proceed to use many of the
Gale biographical products, plus The Complete Marquis Who's Who
Dictionary of American Biography
(Green Library Information Center E176.D56) An important source
of biographical information on " persons who have made significant
contributions to our national past." To be included a person must
be dead. The latest supplement brings the coverage up through 1980.
Articles include selected bibliographies. See the American National
Biography for newer entries.
Notable American Women, 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary
(Green Library Information Center CT3260.N57) and Notable
American Women: The Modern Period (Green Library Information
Center CT3260.N573) similar to the DAB
for women who died before 1976.
Political Profiles (Green Library Information Center
E840.6.P64) Biographies of those who played significant roles in
U.S. politics during each presidency from Eisenhower to Ford.
Current Biography (Green Library Information Center
CT100.C8) Biographical articles of "living leaders in all fields
of human accomplishment" from 1940 to the present. Some obituaries
also appear.
New York Times Biographical Service (Green Library
Information Center CT100.N4) A monthly "compilation of current biographical
information of general interest" with a name index.
Who Was Who in America (Green Library Information
Center E663.W54) Brief biographies of deceased Americans from colonial
times to 1993.
- To find books about a person, use Socrates
and search for the person as Subject.
- Use Biography Index
(Green Library Information Center Z5301.B5 or Web) to find biographical
material in books and magazines.
- Use Biography
and Geneology Master Index on the Web to find entries
in a wide variety of biographical sources.
Bibliographies can help you identify books and articles on a
subject. They may include short descriptions called annotations.
There are many that deal with U.S. history. In Socrates look for
Topics with the subheading --Bibliography, or use
the Bibliographic Index (Green Library Information Center
Z1002.B594) or browse near the ones listed below.
Writings on American History, 1962-73: A Subject Bibliography
of Books and Monographs (Green Library Information Center
Z1236.W773 1985) based in part on the annual Writings on American
History (Green Library Information Center Z1236.L331) which covers
from 1902-1990.
American Studies: An Annotated Bibliography (Green
Library Information Center Z1361.C6A436 1986) and supplement (Green
Library Information Center Z1361.C6S35 1990).
Indexes (in paper and electronic formats) can help you identify
articles in magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals and other
resources. Those restricted to the Stanford community are marked
with the icon. Choose the after
a database name to see it's help. For other indexes see the Databases
A-Z and Green Library CD-ROMs
lists.
America: History and
Life (1964+ on Web) covers U.S. and Canadian history.
Alternative Press Index
(1991+ available on the Web ; 1969-71; 1974+ shelved at Green Library
Information Center Z7164.S66A5) indexes periodicals devoted to social
change, including some gay/lesbian periodicals.
Arts
& Humanities Citation Index (1975+) covers over 1,100
major journals across 25 disciplines in the arts and humanities.
Search by author or title, or use to find who has cited an author's
work. Also available through
ISI's Web of Science now part of Web of Knowledge. Note:
Ports to ISI are limited. Please log out when done.
ATLA Religion Database
(1949+) includes some fulltext (ATLAS)
ERIC various
ways to search for works in education.
Expanded
Academic ASAP general
index to over 1500 magazines with some fulltext. (1980+) Click Proceed.
Humanities Abstracts
(1984+; abstracts beginning in 1994) (1974+ Green Library Information
Center AI3.H8) Author/subject index to periodicals in fields such
as area studies, folklore, history, language, literature, philosophy,
religion & theology.
LexisNexis
Congressional (1970+) full-text of U.S. legislative information.
PAIS International, 1972+
via Web; 1915+ volumes are shelved at Green Library Information
Center Z7163.P9 indexes selected books, government documents, and
periodical articles on contemporary public issues and the making
of public policy.
PCI: Periodical Contents
Index author/title index to over 2,000 periodicals in
the humanities and social sciences from their first issues to 1991
via Web.
Social Sciences and Humanities Index (formerly International
Index to Periodicals) 1907-1974. (Green Library Information
Center AI3.S6)
Social Sciences Index, 1974+ (Green Library Information
Center AI3S62; also on Web as Social
Sciences Abstracts (1983+; abstracts beginning in 1994)
part of FirstSearch from OCLC )
Author/subject index to periodicals in fields such as anthropology,
economics, family studies, geography, international relations, law
and criminology, political science, policy studies, psychology,
social work, sociology, and urban studies.
Sociological Abstracts
(1963+) (1952-1973 shelved at Green Library Information Center HM1.S67)
Indexes articles concerned spectrum of social behavior (individuals,
small groups, large organizations, communities, institutions, and
societies). Covers sociology and related disciplines such as anthropology,
criminology, law, social psychology, urban studies, race relations,
demography, and education.
Women Studies Abstracts (1972+ shelved at Green Library
Information Center Z7962/W65; 1984+ also in
Women's Studies International on the Web) indexes
feminist and scholarly books and periodicals.
Women's Studies Index (1989+ shelved at Green Library
Information Center HQ1180.W68; also on Web as Women's
Studies on Disc) indexes a wide range of periodicals.
Popular Magazines and Newspaper Indexes
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (Green Library
Information Center AI3.S6) index to popular periodicals that goes
back to the nineteenth century. See also Readers'
Guide Retrospective (1963-1982)
19th-Century
Masterfile Indices to Nineteenth-Century Newspapers, Periodicals,
Books and Government Documents
APS
Online: American Periodicals Series, I, II & III.
Evans
Digital Edition (1639-1800) primary documents in early
American history
Harp
Week; Harper's Weekly, 1857-1865. Full-text
with indexing online.
Japanese American Relocation
Digital Archives part of the California Digital Library's Online
Archive of California.
Ad*Access
"presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements
printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911
and 1955."
LexisNexis
Academic - selected Lexis-Nexis files especially good
for fulltext news, business, and law information. Limited to
Stanford students, faculty, and staff.
America's Newspapers
- from NewsBank, fulltext content of local and regional news; years
of coverage varies considerably from title to title.
New
York Times Historical (1851+) fulltext
- Chicago Tribune Index (Green Library Information
Center AI21.C4N49) 1972+; 1985+ is available in America's
Newspapers.
- Christian Science Monitor Index (Green Library
Information Center AI21.C46) 1949+; 1987+ is available in America's
Newspapers.
- Los Angeles Times Index (Green Library Information
Center AI21.L65 N49 and Ref. AI21.L65L6) 1972+; 1985+ is available
in America's Newspapers.
- San Francisco Chronicle Index (Green Library Information
Center AI21.S4N4) 1976+(Earlier index on microtext in Media Microtext
Center, just inside door to right--part of California Information
File); 1985 + is available in America's
Newspapers.
- Wall Street Journal Index (Green Library Information
Center AI21.W26) 1955+; Wall
Street Journal Historical Archive (1889-1985) - full text.
- Washington Post Index (Green Library Information
Center AI21.W3O45) 1972+; 1977+ is available in America's
Newspapers.
Documents
Documents of American History, 10th ed. (Green Library
HASRC (Lane) Reading Room E173.D59 1988) Presents selected historical
documents from 1492-1987, with brief introductions and bibliographies.
Congressional Record 1995
plus online, issues prior to 1999 are shelved under X/A in Federal
Documents (West Basement) 1873- Daily record has 4 sections: Proceedings
of House and Senate, Extensions of Remarks, Daily Digest. Daily
Record (X1.1/A: - West 2 Stacks) is gathered together to make the
Permanent Record. Daily Record is discarded after receipt of Permanent
Record.
A Century
of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents
and Debates 1774-1873
American
State Papers "the legislative and executive documents of
Congress during the period 1789 to 1838."
Historic Documents (Green Library Information Center
E839.5.H57) 1972- Important documents--"official statements, news
conferences, speeches, special studies, and court decisions"--for
the year, arranged chronologically with an introduction.
Historic Documents of the Presidency, 1776-1989 (Green
Library Information Center JK511.H57 1989) Chronological documents
show evolution and complex role of presidency.
Historic Government Publications
from World War II - U.S. publications scanned by Southern
Methodist University
History of American Presidential Elections, 1789-1984 (Green Library
SSRC Reading Room JK524.S3 and JK524.S32 1985) Analysis of elections
with relevant documents.
The History of Televised
Presidential Debates: videos, photos, headlines, and documents
Women's Rights in the United States: A Documentary History
(Green Library Information Center HQ1236.5.U6W68 1994) key documents
(with introductions) from colonial times to 1993.
Early Encounters
in North America: People, Cultures, and the Environment
North American
Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories
North American
Women's Letters and Diaries
Gerritsen Collection -
Women's History Online (1543-1945) fulltext database available
to the Stanford community via the Web.
Archives and Manuscripts
LexisNexis Statistical
Access to statistics from federal agencies, states, and intergovernmental
organizations.
Historical Statistics of the United States (Green
Library Information Center Statistics Shelf) to 1970. Also
part of the CD-ROM network. SUNet ID required.
Statistical Abstract of the United States (Green Library
Information Center Statistics Shelf) published annually,
it gathers together a wealth of statistical information from a variety
of governmental and non-governmental sources.
Try also the Map Room
in Branner Earth Sciences Library.
Atlas of American History, rev. ed. (Green Library
IC Ready Reference G1201.S1J3 1978) Each map has a narrow
focus and uncluttered format. Designed to supplement the Dictionary
of American History (see first page of this guide).
Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States
(Green Library IC Atlas Case G1201.S1P3) Published in 1932, a classic.
New Historical Atlas of Religion in America (Green
Library HASRC G1201 .E4 N4 2001 F)
We the People: An Atlas of America's Ethnic Diversity
(Green Library Information Center E184.A1 A479 1988 f--look for
on a bottom shelf).
The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts,
1789-1983 (Green Library IC Atlas Case G1201.F9M3 1982f).
The Routledge Historical Atlas of Presidential Elections
(Green Library G1201 .S1 M5 2001)
The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States
Congress, 1789-1989 (Green Library SSRC Reading Room &
Stacks G1201.F9M25 1989f).
Historical Atlas of Religion in America (Green Library
Stacks G1201.E4G3 1976f).
Atlas of Early American History: The Revolutionary Era, 1760-1790
(Green Library IC Atlas Case G1201.S3A8 1976f).
The Atlas of the Civil War (Green Library Information
Center G1201.S5A85 1994.)
Atlas of Westward Expansion (Green Library Stacks
G1201.S1 W44 1995).
Atlas of American Indian Affairs (Green Library Information
Center G1202.E1P7 1990f).
The Routledge Historical Atlas of Women in America (Green
Library Information Center HQ1410 .P68 2000)
Green Library
Other Stanford Libraries
- Hoover
Institution Library and Archives focus on 20th century political,
social, and economic history of the world, including North America,
covering such topics as the development of democratic institutions,
peace negotiations and movements, political ideologies (especially
communism, nazism, fascism, nationalism, and colonialism), political
upheaval and revolutions, changes in the status of women, state-sponsored
propaganda, underground resistance movements, governments-in-exile,
military history, and wartime dislocation and relief.
- Robert Crown
Law Library focuses on law and many social issues.
- Jackson Business
Library has some materials on business and economic history.
Last modified:
September 17, 2008 |
