Encyclopedias & More - History - United States - Guides at Middlebury College

Why Use Reference Works?

Reference works include encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, directories, and other succinct background or factual materials to aid in research.

They may give you a succinct overview of a topic.
They may help you identify a topic to explore in depth.
They may provide quick, reliable facts.
They may include bibliographies that will lead you to detailed studies.

Online Reference (Multiple Works)

Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
A collection of subject-specific encyclopedias published by Gale. Search across the whole collection or narrow your search by subject area or title of reference work.
Gale In Context: U.S. History This link opens in a new window
Includes background information from reference sources, articles, and newspapers and thousands of images, videos, and audio selections from NPR, The History Channel, Associated Press, and more. Also includes selections and excerpts from primary source material.
Oxford Reference Online: Premium This link opens in a new window
General reference resources, including encyclopedias, bilingual dictionaries, chronologies, and maps and illustrations.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Middlebury has access to Oxford Handbooks Online in the following subjects: Economics & Finance, History, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religion.
Cambridge Companions Complete Collection This link opens in a new window
Cambridge Companions are lively, accessible introductions to major writers, artists, philosophers, topics and periods. All are collections of specially commissioned essays, shaped and introduced to appeal to student readers.

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Handbooks

Encyclopedias, handbooks, and "companions" can give you background information (written by academics) and ideas for research topics. Many includes bibliographies which cite key sources. For print encyclopedias, browse Reference E - F591.

Dictionary of American History by Stanley I. Kutler, editor in chief
Call Number: E-Book and print
Publication Date: 2003
Revised edition. Published by Charles Scribner's & Sons. More like an encyclopedia than a dictionary.
Also available in print in Ref. E174 .D52 2003 10 volumes.

New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture
Davis Family Library F209 .N47 2006 15 vols.

Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History
Call Number: E-Book
Publication Date: 2006
This second edition is an expansion of the 1996 classic and its 2000 supplement. This new set identifies and addresses broad themes critical to understanding the texture of the cultures, achievements, challenges, and promise of the 150 million people of African descent who live in North America, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Black history, figures, and accomplishments throughout the Americas .

CQ Press This link opens in a new window
Online access to Congressional Quarterly pubications: Congress and the Nation; Historic Documents; Politics in America; and five CQ Guides: Guide to Congress; Guide to the Presidency; Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court; Guide to U.S. Elections; Guide to Political Campaigns in America.

Chronologies & Timetables

American Eras
Call Number: E-Book
8 volumes. [1] Early American civilizations and exploration to 1600 [2] The colonial era (1600-1754) [3] The Revolutionary era (1754-1783) [4] Development of a nation (1783-1815) [5] The reform era and eastern U.S. development (1815-1850) [6] Westward expansion (1800-1860) [7] Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877) [8] Development of the industrial United States (1878-1899). Includes timelines and articles covering headlines, awards, achievements and other facts.
American Chronicle: Year by Year through the Twentieth Century
Call Number: Davis Family Ref E169.1 .G664 1999
Record of life in the United States since 1900.
Chronology of African American History by Alton Hornsby (Editor)
Call Number: Davis Family Library Ref E185 .H64 1991
Publication Date: 1991
This book chronicles the people, places, and events that have had a major impact on African-American history.

Biographical Resources

Gale In Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
600,000+ biographies covering more than 525,000 individuals. Includes 170+ Gale reference titles, periodical information and multimedia content.

Who's Who in America
Davis Family Library CT213 .W56 1899-1959
Contemporary Black Biography
Multi-volume (60+) series. Part of Biography in Context and Gale Virtual Reference databases.

Directories

Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada by AASLH Press (American Association for State and Local History)
Call Number: Davis Family Library Ref E172 .D5 2002
Publication Date: 2002
Useful for identifying types of primary sources held by local organizations (by state and town).