Selected Reference Books by Historical Topic
Question: What value has a reference book? Why, for example, consult a scholarly history encyclopedia?
Answer: Encyclopedias are two steps removed from the primary source evidence, that is from the letters, diaries, oral histories, and other first-hand accounts of history. Encyclopedias are instead based on secondary sources. For that reason, encyclopedias and other reference works belong to a class of information sometimes called tertiary sources by librarians.
- Browse an encyclopedia for help choosing and/or refining your research topic.
- Reference works help researchers to contextualize their topics, situating the secondary literature within historiographical debates. Context is critical, not least because it is difficult to elicit relevant search results from library databases without employing appropriate "keywords".
- Easily track down additional sources for further reading.
In short, the reference works listed here are a great way to begin any history-related research project!
Featured title:
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by
The ODNB is the standard reference work for British biography. Extensive bibliographic essays accompany many entries. Also available in print, Reference Collection, 1st floor of TCNJ Library (call # DA28 .O95 2004).
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 019861411XPublication Date: 2004-09-23
Atlas:
An Atlas of African Affairs by Call Number: G2445 .G7 1994ISBN: 0415054885Publication Date: 1993-12-02
Biography:
Dictionary of African Historical Biography by Call Number: DT352.6 .L56 1986ISBN: 0520051793Publication Date: 1986-11-13
Pan-African History: Political Figures from Africa and the Diaspora Since 1787 by Call Number: DT30 .A35 2003ISBN: 0415173523Publication Date: 2003-03-28
Companion:
A Companion to African History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781119063575Publication Date: 2018-09-11Brief (10-20 pp.), highly valuable historiographical essays on a range of topics in African history from "Women's Roles in Institutions of Power" to "Africans and Their Environment." Each chapter is followed by an extensive bibliography of some of the most important secondary histories, and, in many cases, point to useful primary sources as well. Highly recommended.
Dictionaries:
Historical Dictionary of Civil Wars in Africa by Call Number: DT21.5 .A76 2008ISBN: 9780810857667Publication Date: 2007-11-19
Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa by Call Number: HQ1787 .S44 2005ISBN: 0810853310Publication Date: 2005-03-16
Encyclopedias:
Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781598846669Publication Date: 2015-12-31
African Kingdoms: An Encyclopedia of Empires and Civilizations by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781610695794Publication Date: 2017-08-24
Encyclopedia of African Colonial Conflicts [2 Volumes] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781598848373Publication Date: 2016-11-07
Encyclopedia of African History by Call Number: DT20 .E53 2005ISBN: 1579582451Publication Date: 2004-11-22
Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History by Call Number: DT29 .E53 2003ISBN: 0415234794Publication Date: 2002-12-20
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Africa and the West: A Documentary History From the Slave Trade to Independence by Call Number: DT353.5.E9 A34 2001ISBN: 1573562475Publication Date: 2001-01-30
Atlas:
The Routledge Atlas of African American History by Call Number: E185 .E125 2000ISBN: 0415921368Publication Date: 2000-06-13
Bibliography:
The African American Experience: An Historiographical and Bibliographical Guide by Call Number: E184.65 .A37 2001ISBN: 0313298386Publication Date: 2000-11-30
The Harvard Guide to African-American History by Call Number: E185 .H326 2001ISBN: 0674002768Publication Date: 2001-06-25
Biography:
African American National Biography by Call Number: E185.96 .A4466 2008 (print only)ISBN: 9780195160192Publication Date: 2008-02-18This reference work ranks alongside American National Biography. The highly readable, signed entries include persons from all walks of life including literary and other creative figures. Each entry concludes with a brief further readings section. Available only in print, Reference Stacks, 1st floor.
American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
Chronology:
A State-By-State History of Race and Racism in the United States [2 Volumes] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440856013Publication Date: 2018-12-07
Companion:
A Companion to African American History by Call Number: E185 .C66 2008ISBN: 9781405179935Publication Date: 2008-06-16
Dictionary:
The Cambridge Guide to African American History by Call Number: E185 .G33 2016ISBN: 9781107103399Publication Date: 2016-02-15
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0816032890Publication Date: 1996-01-01
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895 by Call Number: E185 .E545 2006ISBN: 0195167775Publication Date: 2006-04-06
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present by Call Number: E185 .E5453 2009ISBN: 9780195167795Publication Date: 2009-02-02Internet Archive e-books (all 5 vols.) available:
vol. 1. A-C
vol. 2. D-I
vol. 3. J-N
vol. 4. O-T
vol. 5. U-Y
Handbook:
Racism in America: a Reference Handbook by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440856419Publication Date: 2020-02-24
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Black Protest: History, Documents, and Analyses, 1619 to the Present by Call Number: E185 .G75 1970Publication Date: 1970, c1968The analysis in this book will be dated, but considering that it is a 505 page documentary history of African American civil rights this book could just contain the primary source document(s) you have been looking for.
Defining Documents in American History: Civil Rights (1954-2015) by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781619258563Publication Date: 2015-12-01
Freedom on My Mind: The Columbia Documentary History of the African American Experience by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 023150750XPublication Date: 2003-07-10
Lift Every Voice: African American Oratory, 1787-1900 by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0817309063Publication Date: 1997-12-11
Milestone Documents in African American History by Call Number: E184.6 .M55 2017ISBN: 9781682175798Publication Date: 2017-10-31
Bibliography:
Japanese American Internment During World War II: A History and Reference Guide by Call Number: D769.8.A6 N4 2002ISBN: 031331375XPublication Date: 2001-12-30
Biography:
- American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
Distinguished Asian Americans: A Biographical Dictionary by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0313289026Publication Date: 1999-12-30
Chronology:
- A State-By-State History of Race and Racism in the United States [2 Volumes] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440856013Publication Date: 2018-12-07
Encyclopedias:
Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: E184.A75 A8287 2010ISBN: 9780765680778Publication Date: 2010-02-15
Asian Americans: An Encyclopedia of Social, Cultural, Economic, and Political History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781598842401Publication Date: 2013-11-01
Encyclopedia of Japanese American History by Call Number: E184.J3 E53 2001ISBN: 0816040931Publication Date: 2000-11-01
Handbook:
The Oxford Handbook of Asian American History by Call Number: E184.A75 O94 2016ISBN: 9780199860463Publication Date: 2016-02-01
Introduction via Primary Sources:
The Columbia Documentary History of the Asian American Experience by Call Number: E184.O6 C63 2002ISBN: 0231110308Publication Date: 2002-12-15
Atlas:
Atlas of the Civil War: A Comprehensive Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle by Call Number: G1201.S5 N2 2009ISBN: 9781426203473Publication Date: 2009-10-20
Bibliography:
The American Civil War: A Handbook of Literature and Research by Call Number: E456 .A43 1996ISBN: 0313290199Publication Date: 1996-12-30Find sources published prior to 1996.
Women and the American Civil War: An Annotated Bibliography by Call Number: E628 .M355 2003ISBN: 0313321051Publication Date: 2003-09-30
Biography:
- American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy by Call Number: E467 .W2ISBN: 083716124XPublication Date: 1977-02-25
Biographical Dictionary of the Union: Northern Leaders of the Civil War by Call Number: E467 .B56 1995ISBN: 0313209200Publication Date: 1995-09-14
Civil War Biographies from the Western Waters: 856 Confederate and Union Naval and Military Personnel, Contractors, Politicians, Officials, Steamboat Pilots and Others by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780786469673Publication Date: 2015-01-20This book is a winner of the 2016 Outstanding Reference Sources Award, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), American Library Association (ALA).
Companion:
A Companion to the U.S. Civil War by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781118802809Publication Date: 2014-01-01This critical, up-to-date companion is the best source of historiographical essays about the Civil War.
Dictionary:
Historical Dictionary of the Civil War and Reconstruction by Call Number: E468 .R53 2004ISBN: 0810845849Publication Date: 2004-05-17
Encyclopedias:
The Civil War Naval Encyclopedia by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781598843392Publication Date: 2010-12-01
The Encyclopedia of Civil War Usage: An Illustrated Compenium of the Everyday Language of Soldiers and Civilians by Call Number: E468.9 .G373 2001ISBN: 1581821867Publication Date: 2001-04-21Use this work to identify "keywords" (search terms) with which to search Gitenstein Library primary source databases such as African American Newspapers, Series 1.
Encyclopedia of the American Civil War by Call Number: E468 .H47 2000ISBN: 1576070662Publication Date: 2000-12-135-volume encyclopedia
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Civil War by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780199782017Publication Date: 2011-08-02
Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: E628 .H37 2004ISBN: 041593723XPublication Date: 2003-10-31
Handbook:
- Reconstruction: a Reference Guide by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 161069533XPublication Date: 2015-07-28
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Defining Documents In American History: The Civil War, 1860-1865 by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781429837460Publication Date: 2013-12-01This Gitenstein Library-licensed e-book provides online access to a range of Civil War-Era primary sources.
Defining Documents in American History: Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 1619254875Publication Date: 2014-06-01
Statistics:
Civil War America, 1850 To 1875 by Call Number: E468 .S45 2006ISBN: 0816038678Publication Date: 2006-09-01Find maps, statistics, and other hard-to-find background information about the Civil War in this important reference work.
Atlases:
The Atlas of Ancient Rome Biography and Portraits of the City by Call Number: DG63 .A8513 2017ISBN: 9780691163475Publication Date: 2017-07-11
Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World by Call Number: G1033 .B37 2000ISBN: 069103169XPublication Date: 2000-10-08maps in 2 vols.
Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World: Map-by-Map Directory by Call Number: under considerationISBN: 9780691049458Publication Date: 2000-10-08In 2 vols, no maps, "but all the Greek and Roman place names which are mapped in the atlas volume are here given together with references to the original research which marshals the evidence for how we know where the ancient places were."
Historical Atlas of the Ancient World by Call Number: G1033 .H5713 2010ISBN: 9789004171565Publication Date: 2009-12-14
Companions:
A Companion to Women in the Ancient World by Call Number: HQ1127 .C637 2012ISBN: 9781405192842Publication Date: 2012-02-20
The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization [2nd ed.] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780198706779Publication Date: 2014-11-11"The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization provides an authoritative survey of the Greek and Roman worlds in all their aspects. Drawing on the latest edition of the higly praised Oxford Classical Dictionary, the Companion offers articles on diverse fields such as, history and politics; ethics and morals; law and punishment; social and family life; language, literature, and art; religion and mythology; technology, science, and medicine."
Dictionaries:
The Oxford Classical Dictionary [4th ed.] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780199545568Publication Date: 2012-05-04
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780195046526Publication Date: 1991-05-02
The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780192801456Publication Date: 2005-09-08"Spanning almost one thousand years, from the first Olympic Games in 776 BC to the death of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180, this accessible and wide-ranging reference work draws on the groundbreaking Oxford Classical Dictionary to present more than 2,500 entries on the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. The dictionary covers key aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life and literature, such as science, social structure, philosophy, and religion, and contains comprehensive articles on central figures, both real and mythological, from Achilles to Zeno."
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World by Call Number: DE5 .N3613 2006ISBN: 9004142215Publication Date: 2006-08-01Originally published in Germany in the nineteenth century, Brill's New Pauly remains the premier dictionary/encyclopedia for students and scholars of Greco-Roman antiquity. "Special emphasis is given to the interaction between Greco-Roman culture on the one hand, and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the other hand" (publisher).
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780195170726Publication Date: 2009-12-31This online edition of the 7-volume print encyclopedia (2010) covers ancient Greek and Roman antiquity from the Bronze Age to the 5th century CE. Over 1000 scholarly entries cover historical figures and events, literature, religion and mythology, art, philosophy, science and technology, politics, economics, and material culture and everyday life. Also included: maps, a chronology, a topical outline, illustrations, and bibliographies at the end of each entry.
Atlas:
The Atlas of U.S. and Canadian Environmental History by Call Number: GF503 .A84 2003ISBN: 0415937817Publication Date: 2003-08-08
Biography:
American Environmental Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present by Call Number: GE55 .B43 2000ISBN: 1576071626Publication Date: 2000-12-15
Companion:
A Companion to American Environmental History by Call Number: GE195 .C655 2010ISBN: 9781405156653Publication Date: 2010-05-10Consulting the relevant historiographical essay in this volume is the most efficient way to identify important historical writing on Native American environmental relations, gender and the environment, consumers and the environment, etc. Highly recommended.
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia of American Environmental History by Call Number: GE150 .E53 2011ISBN: 9780816067930Publication Date: 2010-11-01
Encyclopedia of the U.S. Government and the Environment: History, Policy, and Politics by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781598842388Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Encyclopedia of World Environmental History by Call Number: GF10 .E63 2004ISBN: 0415937329Publication Date: 2003-10-31
Guide:
- Environmental History Research GuideI created this guide to help students conduct environmental history research at Gitenstein Library.
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Defining Documents in American History: Environment & Conservation (1791-2015) by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781619258549Publication Date: 2016-05-01
The Environmental Debate: A Documentary History with Timeline, Third Edition by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781682175507Publication Date: 2017-09-01
Environmental Issues in American History: A Reference Guide with Primary Documents by Call Number: GE150 .M338 2006ISBN: 9780313322082Publication Date: 2006-04-01
Atlas:
Atlas of Hispanic-American History by Call Number: 973.0468 Ochoa (2nd Floor CH/YA)ISBN: 081607092XPublication Date: 2008-11-01
Biography:
- American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
Chronologies:
Chronology of Hispanic-American History by Call Number: E184.S75 C49 1995ISBN: 0810392003Publication Date: 1995-06-13- A State-By-State History of Race and Racism in the United States [2 Volumes] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440856013Publication Date: 2018-12-07
Dictionary:
Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History by Call Number: E184.S75 R69 2006ISBN: 1558853472Publication Date: 2006-12-01
Encyclopedias:
- Encyclopedia Latina: History, Culture, and Society In the United States by Call Number: E184.S75 E587 2005ISBN: 0717258157Publication Date: 2005-04-01
Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceañeras. by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440800993Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Introductions via Primary Sources:
- Defining Documents in American History: Civil Rights (1954-2015) by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781619258563Publication Date: 2015-12-01
- The Spanish in America, 1513-1974: A Chronology and Fact Book by Call Number: E123 .N37ISBN: 0379005115Publication Date: 1975-01-01
See the separate LGBT+ History and Literature libguide for more help researching LGBT+ history.
Encyclopedias published since 2010:
- The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0684325535Publication Date: 2019-02-08Highly recommended!
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of LGBT Issues Worldwide by Call Number: HQ76 .G724 2010ISBN: 0313342318Publication Date: 2009-12-01
Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780810874688Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Encyclopedias published between 2000 and 2009:
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in AmericaCall Number: HQ76.3.U5 E53 2004ISBN: 0684312611Publication Date: 2003-12-05
Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0203487885Publication Date: 2003-09-02
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture by Call Number: HQ76.96 .R68 2006ISBN: 0415306515Publication Date: 2006-04-12
Introduction via Primary Sources:
Gay and Lesbian Rights in the United States: A Documentary History by Call Number: HQ76.8.U5 G37 2003ISBN: 0313306966Publication Date: 2003-09-30"The movement for gay and lesbian rights in America [from the early colonial period through 2000] is a response to long-held beliefs that have, at times throughout the history of the United States, made homosexuality legally, politically, and socially unacceptable. This collection of primary documents explores those beliefs and their counter-arguments, providing varying viewpoints on the complex issue of gay and lesbian rights. Personal testimonies, laws, opinion pieces, court cases, and other documents, dating from colonial times to the present day, encourage students to challenge their assumptions and strengthen critical thinking skills" (publisher).
Bibliography:
Handbook of Latin American Studies by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 147730956XPublication Date: 1935 to dateNow an open access database made available from the Library of Congress, this classic reference work is the go-to source for uncovering the secondary journal literature of Latin American Studies.
Latin American Studies: An Annotated Bibliography of Core Works by Call Number: F1408 .C63 2002ISBN: 0786412569Publication Date: 2002-06-11This important reference work serves as an introduction to the core literature of Latin American Studies published through the end of the twentieth century. Look elsewhere to identify more recently published works.
The United States and Latin America: A Select Bibliography by Call Number: F1418 .B78 1997ISBN: 0810832488Publication Date: 1997-04-10This dated bibliography is nevertheless useful for locating scholarly works on U.S. / Latin American relations published during the era of Central American Revolutions (1950s-1990s) and South American Dirty Wars (1970s-1980s) among many other eras and topics.
Companion:
A Companion to Latin American History by Call Number: F1410 .C727 2008ISBN: 1405131616Publication Date: 2008-01-22This Blackwell companion is an important source for historiographical essays on Latin American history. Chapters include The National Security State, Central America in Upheaval, and Social and Economic Impact of Neoliberalism, among others.
Dictionaries:
Historical Dictionary of the Dirty Wars by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781442276413Publication Date: 2016-11-16
New Dictionary of the History of IdeasCall Number: CB9 .N49 2005ISBN: 0684313774Publication Date: 2004-12-03I highly recommend this 6-voume reference work for its authoritative entries on Anti-colonialism in Latin America; Authoritarianism in Latin America; The City in Latin America; Creolization in the Caribbean; Dictatorship in Latin America; Indigenismo; Religion and the State in Latin America; and Republicanism in Latin America, among others.
The United States in Latin America: A Historical Dictionary by Call Number: F1418 .S494 1992ISBN: 0313275955Publication Date: 1992-04-30
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Latin American and Caribbean Cultures by Call Number: F1406 .E515 2000ISBN: 041513188XPublication Date: 2001-01-16
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture by Call Number: F1406 .E53 2008ISBN: 9780684312705Publication Date: 2008-05-09
Handbooks:
Handbook of Research on the International Relations of Latin America and the Caribbean by Call Number: JZ1519 .A96 2001ISBN: 0813333792Publication Date: 2001-04-02
The Oxford Handbook of Latin American History by Call Number: F1410 .O95 2011ISBN: 9780195166217Publication Date: 2010-11-05
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Colonial Latin America: A Documentary History by Call Number: F1412 .C642 2002ISBN: 0842029974Publication Date: 2002-08-01
Colonial Lives: Documents on Latin American History, 1550-1850 by Call Number: F1410 .C725 2000ISBN: 0195125118Publication Date: 1999-12-23
Latin America Since Independence: A History with Primary Sources by Call Number: F1413 .D39 2011ISBN: 9780415991964Publication Date: 2010-09-21
Latin American Independence: An Anthology of Sources by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781603844642Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Bibliography:
Native American Voices: A History and Anthology by Call Number: E77.2 .N38 2000ISBN: 9781881089599Publication Date: 2000-07-26
Biography:
- American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
- The Encyclopedia of Native American Biography: Six Hundred Life Stories of Important People from Powhatan to Wilma Mankiller by Call Number: E89 .J69 1997ISBN: 0805032703Publication Date: 1997-01-01
Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary by Call Number: E98.W8 B38 2001ISBN: 0415930200Publication Date: 2001-06-12
Chronology:
- A State-By-State History of Race and Racism in the United States [2 Volumes] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440856013Publication Date: 2018-12-07
Companion:
A Companion to American Indian History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 1405121319Publication Date: 2004-03-12
Dictionary:
Historical Dictionary of Native American Movements by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781442268098Publication Date: 2016-07-15
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars, 1492-1890 by Call Number: E81 .K44 1997ISBN: 0874367964Publication Date: 1997-11-01
Encyclopedia of Native American History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781438135670Publication Date: 2011-01-01- Encyclopedia of New Jersey Indians by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780403093311Publication Date: 1998
Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty by Call Number: KF8203.6 .T74 2008ISBN: 9781576078808Publication Date: 2007-12-12
Handbook:
- Handbook of North American Indians by Call Number: E77 .H25Publication Date: 1978-2008Each volume of this classic work deals with a cultural sub-region of native North America (e.g., California, Great Plains).
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Defining Documents in American History: The American West (1836-1900) by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781619255333Publication Date: 2014-12-05
Defining Documents in American History: Native Americans (1451-2017) by Call Number: E77 .N38 2017ISBN: 9781682175873Publication Date: 2018-02-28Currently available in print only. The e-book should be available by the Fall 2022 semester.
Great Documents in American Indian History by Call Number: E77.2 .M66ISBN: 9780306806599Publication Date: 1973
Bibliography:
Critical Bibliography of Religion in America by Call Number: BR515 .S6ISBN: 9781400877096Publication Date: 2015-12-08
Companion:
A Companion to American Religious History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781119583707Publication Date: 2021-02-01
Encyclopedia:
Encyclopedia of American Women and Religion [2nd ed. in 2 vols.] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440839870Publication Date: 2017-08-18
Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions: Faith and Culture Across History [in 2 vols.] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440848490Publication Date: 2018-11-16
Women and Religion: Global Lives in Focus by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKSISBN: 9781440871979Publication Date: 2021-08-09Each chapter focuses on the role of women in faith communities in one of seven world regions. Extensive and up-to-date Further Readings sections conclude each chapter and lead the researcher to any number of historical monographs.
Bibliography:
Bibliography of the East India Company: Books, Pamphlets, and Other Materials Printed Between 1600 and 1785 by Call Number: S465 .P524 2011ISBN: 9780712358446Publication Date: 2011-07-01Please contact me for help if you find a primary source in this bibliography that you wish to access.
Bibliography of the East India Company: Contemporary Printed Sources, 1786-1858 by Call Number: Z1001-9000ISBN: 9780712357784Publication Date: 2015-10-01Please contact me for help if you find a primary source in this bibliography that you wish to access.
On the Paths of Enlightenment: The Myth of India In Western Culture, 1808-2017 by Call Number: N7429 .O57 2017ISBN: 9788857236667Publication Date: 2018-02-27669 pages of sources that relate to the influence of Indian civilization on the West; only tangentially focuses on Indian history- Women and Religion in India: An Annotated Bibliography of Sources in English, 1975-92 by Call Number: BL2015.W6 F35 1994ISBN: 0932826377Publication Date: 1994-01-01dated but potentially useful bibliography of sources published in English
Biography:
- Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature by Call Number: CT1502 .H33 1995ISBN: 8170173116Publication Date: 1995-01-01
- Dictionary of [Indian] National Biography [4 vols.] by Call Number: CT1502 .S46Publication Date: 1972-74These 4 vols. are useful for finding background information on important persons in Indian history, but keep in mind that scholars' understanding of figures such as Mahatma Gandhi evolves as the primary source record is discovered and contextualized. Bibliographies that accompany entries are extremely helpful for locating additional sources.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 019861411XPublication Date: 2004-09-23The ODNB is the standard reference work for British biography. Extensive bibliographic essays accompany many of the biographical entries. Also available in print, Reference Collection, 1st floor of TCNJ Library (call # DA28 .O95 2004).
Catalog:
- Bharat Ek KhojArchive.org
open access catalog
"Books, video, audio and other resources from India."
Companion:
The Oxford Companion to Pakistani History by Call Number: DS382 .O94 2012ISBN: 9780195475784Publication Date: 2014-05-18
Dictionaries:
Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780810874534Publication Date: 2010-04-01new (4th ed.) provides access to over 700 cross-reference entries, chronology, and an extensive bibliography
Historical Dictionary of India by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780810847705Publication Date: 2006-05-09
Historical Dictionary of Pakistan by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781442241473Publication Date: 2015-03-19
Directory:
- Digital South Asia LibraryUniversity of Chicago and the Center for Research Libraries
open access directory
find links to digital dictionaries of South Asia and a range of primary sources including audio recordings and images
Encyclopedia:
Encyclopedia of India [4 vols.] by Call Number: DS405 .E556 2006ISBN: 0684313499Publication Date: 2005-11-28
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Makers of Modern India by Call Number: DS446.3 .M36 2013ISBN: 9780674725966Publication Date: 2013-10-14primary sources on Indian political history from the 18th through 20th centuries
Sources of Indian Traditions by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780231510929Publication Date: 2014-04-08
Atlas:
- American Panorama: An Atlas of United States HistoryDigital Scholarship Lab, University of Richmond
open access
Atlas of American History by Call Number: E179.5 .N37 2007ISBN: 0816059527Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Bibliography:
United States History: A Multicultural, Interdisciplinary Guide to Information Sources by Call Number: E178 .P45 2003ISBN: 1563088746Publication Date: 2003-04-30
Biography:
- American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
Companions:
A Companion to Colonial America by Call Number: E187 .C75 2006ISBN: 9781405149853Publication Date: 2006-01-23
A Companion to 19th-Century America by Call Number: E338 .C85 2001ISBN: 0631209859Publication Date: 2001-02-08
A Companion to 20th-Century America by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0470998520Publication Date: 2008-04-15
Dictionaries:
Dictionary of American History by Call Number: E174 .D52 2003ISBN: 0684805332Publication Date: 2002-12-11
Historical Dictionary of the Early American Republic by Call Number: E301 .B79 2006ISBN: 081085080XPublication Date: 2006-01-19
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia of American History by Call Number: E174 .E53 2003ISBN: 081604371XPublication Date: 2003-01-01
Encyclopedia of American Urban History (vol. 1: A-L) by Call Number: Internet Archive E-BOOKISBN: 0761928847Publication Date: 2006-12-07This book is also available in print, Reference Stacks, call # HT123 .E49 2007.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History by Call Number: E183 .P85 2010ISBN: 9780691129716Publication Date: 2009-11-29
Gazetteer:
Historical Gazetteer of the United States by Call Number: E154 .H45 2005ISBN: 0415939488Publication Date: 2004-11-03
Introductions via Primary Sources:
Dissent: The History of An American Idea by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781479814527Publication Date: 2015- Landmark Documents on the U.S. Congress by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 1568023995Publication Date: 1998-10-15
Milestone Documents of American Leaders: Exploring the Primary Sources of Notable Americans by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780979775857Publication Date: 2009-05-01
Reforming America: a Thematic Encyclopedia and Document Collection of the Progressive Era [2 Volumes] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440837210Publication Date: 2017-03-20
Encyclopedias:
The Encyclopedia of the Irish in America by Call Number: E184.I6 E53 1999ISBN: 0268027552Publication Date: 1999-09-01
The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: E184.I8 I673 2000ISBN: 0815307136Publication Date: 1999-10-01- Jewish-American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: E184.J5 J48 1992ISBN: 0824066227Publication Date: 1992-01-01
Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia by Call Number: DS115.2 .J49 1998ISBN: 0415919363Publication Date: 1997-11-05
Pennsylvania Germans: An Interpretive Encyclopedia by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781421421384Publication Date: 2017-01-31
The Polish American Encyclopedia by Call Number: E184.P7 P6836 2011ISBN: 9780786433087Publication Date: 2010-12-09
Introduction via Primary Sources:
The Great American Mosaic: An Exploration of Diversity in Primary Documents by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781610696128Publication Date: 2014-09-30
Korean War:
Combat Operations of the Korean War: Ground, Air, Sea, Special and Covert by Call Number: Internet Archive E-BOOKISBN: 9780786444366Publication Date: 2009-11-30
Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History [in 3 vols.] by Call Number: Internet Archive E-BOOKISBN: 1576070298Publication Date: 2000-06-28also available in print, call # DS918 .E53 2000, Reference Collection (1st floor)
Historical Dictionary of the Korean War by Call Number: Internet Archive E-BOOKISBN: 9780810866089Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Military History (general):
A Dictionary of Military History by Call Number: U24 .D4913 1994ISBN: 0631168486Publication Date: 1994-09-20
Historical Dictionary of Intelligence Failures by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781442232730Publication Date: 2014-11-20
The Oxford Companion to Military History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0198662092Publication Date: 2001-08-02
Understanding War: An Annotated Bibliography by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780761867739Publication Date: 2016-08-03
War From Ancient Egypt to Iraq by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780756668174Publication Date: 2009
Religion and War:
War and Religion: An Encyclopedia of Faith and Conflict by Call Number: BL85 .W37 2017ISBN: 9781610695169Publication Date: 2017-03-27
United States and War:
- American Military Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present by Call Number: E181 .F84 1999ISBN: 1576070018Publication Date: 1999-06-18
Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Early American Republic, 1783-1811: A Political, Social, and Military History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781598841572Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Encyclopedia of War and American Society by Call Number: E181 .E634 2006ISBN: 0761930973Publication Date: 2005-11-18
The Oxford Companion to American Military History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0195071980Publication Date: 2000-04-13
Understanding U. S. Military Conflicts Through Primary Sources by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781610699341Publication Date: 2015-11-30
Vietnam War:
The Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War by Call Number: DS557.5 .A54 2002ISBN: 0231114923Publication Date: 2002-07-10
The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History [in 4 vols.] by Call Number: DS557.7 .E53 2011ISBN: 9781851099603Publication Date: 2011-05-20- Words of the Vietnam War: The Slang, Jargon, Abbreviations, Acronyms, Nomenclature, Nicknames, Pseudonyms, Slogans, Specs, Euphemisms, Double-Talk, Changes, and Names and Places of the Era of United States Involvement in Vietnam by Call Number: Internet Archive E-BOOKISBN: 0899504655Publication Date: 1990-10-01
Women and War:
A Companion to Women's Military History by Call Number: U21.75 .C66 2012ISBN: 9789004212176Publication Date: 2012-08-17
Women and War: A Historical Encyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present by Call Number: Internet Archive E-BOOKISBN: 1851097708Publication Date: 2006-05-19Also available in print, Reference Collection (1st floor), call # U24 .W69 2006.
Women in the United States Military: An Annotated Bibliography by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780415801461Publication Date: 2010-12-02
World War I:
1914-1918 Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War by Call Number: open access E-BookPublication Date: October 2014-date"Project leaders are Prof. Dr. Oliver Janz, historian at the Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut (FMI) of Freie Universität Berlin, and Prof. Dr. Nicolas Apostolopoulos, director of the Center for Digital Systems (CeDiS), also at Freie Universität Berlin."
A Companion to World War I [Blackwell] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781405123860Publication Date: 2010-05-17Access 38 historiographical essays by leading scholars on such topics as "War in the West, 1914-1918," "Women and Men," "Film and the War," and others. Highly recommended.
The Encyclopedia of World War I by Call Number: D510 .E53 2005ISBN: 1851094202Publication Date: 2005-09-27
The United States in World War I: A Bibliographic Guide by Call Number: Z6207.E8 C66 2012ISBN: 9780810883062Publication Date: 2012-07-30
World War II:
A Companion to World War II [Blackwell] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781118325049Publication Date: 2012-11-29Access 58 historiographical essays by leading scholars on topics as diverse as "Wartime Conferences," "Scientists and Nuclear Weapons in World War II," "Race, Genocide, and Holocaust," "World War II in Historical Memory," and many others the deal with the military, political, and social history of the war. Highly recommended.
D-Day: The Essential Reference Guide by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440849749Publication Date: 2017-11-03
The Encyclopedia of World War II by Call Number: D740 .E516 2005ISBN: 1576079996Publication Date: 2004-12-17
The Oxford Companion to World War II by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9780198604464Publication Date: 2002-01-24
Bibliography:
- America's Women in the Revolutionary Era: A History through Bibliography by Call Number: E276 .G78 2011ISBN: 9781892237125Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Women in U. S. History: A Resource Guide by Call Number: HQ1410 .H369 2000ISBN: 1563087693Publication Date: 2000-11-15now a bit dated but still quite useful for identifying important works on your topic(s)
Biography:
- American National Biography by Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355Publication Date: 1999-01-21The ANB is the go-to reference work for finding credible information about the lives of significant persons in American history. Locate Americans by "occupations and realms of renown" such as Animal Rights Activists, Black Nationalists, Civil Rights Leaders, Gay Rights Activists, Social Reformers, Suffragists, and many other occupations. Brief but highly useful bibliographic essays accompany each entry. These point researchers to the most important secondary biographies but also to repositories of collected papers and other primary source ephemera.
A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0754669009Publication Date: 2016-11-11- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by
The ODNB is the standard reference work for British biography. Extensive bibliographic essays accompany many entries. Also available in print, Reference Collection, 1st floor of TCNJ Library (call # DA28 .O95 2004).
Call Number: E-BOOKISBN: 019861411XPublication Date: 2004-09-23
Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia by Call Number: HQ1115 .W6 1999ISBN: 078763736XPublication Date: 1999-10-08
Companions:
The Ashgate Research Companion to Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe by Call Number: HQ1587 .A79 2013ISBN: 9781409418177Publication Date: 2013-02-28
A Companion to American Women's History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781119522690Publication Date: 2020-11-13 (2nd ed.)The 1st ed. (c2002) is available in the General Collection (print), call # HQ1410 .C63 2002.
A Companion to Global Gender History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781119535812Publication Date: 2020-11-27
A Medieval Woman's Companion: Women's Lives in the European Middle Ages by Call Number: HQ1147.E85 M67 2016ISBN: 9781785700798Publication Date: 2015-11-30
Encyclopedias (United States):
Encyclopedia of Women in American History by Call Number: HQ1410 .E53 2001ISBN: 0765680386Publication Date: 2002-02-28"Presents more than nine hundred alphabetized entries and related essays on topics and important figures in the history of American women from 1585 to 2001, as well as several source documents."
Enslaved Women in America: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: E443 .E57 2012ISBN: 9780313349089Publication Date: 2012-06-12
Women in the American Political System: An Encyclopedia of Women as Voters, Candidates, and Office Holders by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781610699730Publication Date: 2018-12-01
Women's Rights in the United States: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Issues, Events, and People by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781610692151Publication Date: 2014-12-09
Encyclopedias (World):
- Encyclopedia of European Social History: Gender (v. 4) by Call Number: HN373 .E63 2001ISBN: 0684805804Publication Date: 2000-08-01
- Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions: Faith and Culture Across History [in 2 vols.] by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781440848490Publication Date: 2018-11-16
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women In World History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0195148908Publication Date: 2008"This multi-volume encyclopedia features more than 650 biographies of individuals and over 600 topical essays on culture, society, geography, history, movements, trends, gender studies, and so forth from prehistory to the present. End notes for articles, a detailed chronology, a topical outline, and more than 400 illustrations supplement this resource."
Political and Historical Encyclopedia of Women by Call Number: HQ1236.5.E85 E52 2003ISBN: 1579582370Publication Date: 2003-07-29
First Ladies:
American First Ladies, Third Ediiton by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781619259423Publication Date: 2015-11-01Of the two titles listed here, American First Ladies is marginally preferred as some biographical entries include annotated bibliographies and primary source excerpts.
The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, an Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781402242724Publication Date: 2011-02-01These easily digested biographies serve as straightforward introductions to American first ladies.
Introductions via Primary Sources:
American Women Speak: An Encyclopedia and Document Collection of Women's Oratory by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 1440837856Publication Date: 2017
The Reader's Companion to U. S. Women's History by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 0395671736Publication Date: 1998-02-27
Second to None: A Documentary History of American Women by Call Number: HQ1410 .S43 1993ISBN: 0803281994Publication Date: 1994-04-01
Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection by Call Number: Gitenstein Library E-BOOKISBN: 9781610696029Publication Date: 2017-01-23This 4-volume reference work appears on the 2018 Best Historical Materials list (Historical Materials Committee), History Section, RUSA, American Library Association.
History Reference Databases
Country Backgrounds & Histories
- Historical Dictionaries by country, published by Scarecrow Press / Rowman & LittlefieldClick "more" for instructions on how to search for historical dictionaries.
Gitenstein Library - Inter-American Development Bankopen access
- United Nations Statistics Divisionopen access
- World Bank Open Dataopen access