This guide features library and web resources for research on the American Revolution. It was created in September 2017 and updated in September 2020 for Dr. Emily Mieras's HIST 365 students.
Consider using encyclopedias and other reference sources when you begin researching a topic. Some encyclopedias will provide more in-depth information than others, but any general encyclopedia is a good source to consult for background information of your chosen subject area. Most encyclopedias provide the following:
A starting point for research and learning that offers unlimited access to hundreds of full text reference books on every subject. Includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations.
Explores ordinary life through time and across the globe. A cross-disciplinary resource for researching historical topics such as food and cooking, celebrations, clothes, romance, work, religion, housing, language, and social customs.
Covers the black experience from its African origins to the present day. Topics include history, biography, literature, arts, music, pop culture, folklore, business, slavery, civil rights, politics, sports, education, and science & technology.
Includes hundreds of primary documents: manuscripts, speeches, court cases, quotations, advertisements, statistics, and other papers; More than 4,000 interviews with former slaves, including the WPA slave narratives from the acclaimed The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography; Sixty-seven Negro University Press texts from the late 1700s to the early 1970s classics in black scholarship. Other Features: In their Own Voices (audio clips, such as interviews with former slaves and music files). Links to vetted Web sites. Lesson plans, directly tied to associated primary source documents and images, and other classroom resources. Hundreds and hundreds of photographs, maps, and other images.
Full-text digital resource exploring the histories and contemporary cultures of the indigenous peoples of the United States. Offers access to more than 150 volumes of scholarship and reference content, hundreds of primary documents, and thousands of images.
This is the official National Park Service American Revolution Web site. It contains a timeline, a feature on the Revolution day by day, educational activities for students, and lesson plans tied to the American Revolution. It also includes information about National Parks associated with the American Revolution.
This site on the American Revolution is a companion to the award-winning series produced by PBS. It contains educational resources such as a timeline of the Revolution, bibliographies, links to related sites, and lesson plans.
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