History
About
Welcome to the History Subject Guide.
Here you will find links to history-specific databases like America: History and Life, and many more databases that are useful in historical research.
Also, there are links to useful Websites and associations.
Check back often because this page will be updated with helpful research tools recommended by LMU Librarians and History Professors.
History-specific
America: History and Life is the definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. With indexing for 1,700 journals from 1964 to present, this database is without question the most important bibliographic reference tool for students and scholars of U.S. and Canadian history.
Early American Imprints serves as a foundation set for research involving early American history, literature, philosophy, religion, and more. Contains more than 36,000 works and 2,400,000 images, Evans is a rich resource for information about every aspect of life in 17th- and 18th-century America.
The History Resource Center: U.S. provides integrated access to over 1,000 historical (primary) documents, more then 30,000 reference articles, and over 65 full-text journal covering themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present. The material also includes access to the citations for over 180 additional history journals from the Institute for Scientific Information’s Arts and Humanities Citation Index.
The JSTOR archive holds the complete digitized back runs of core scholarly journals, starting with the very first issues, some dating as far back as the1600s. New titles and disciplines are being added regularly. Issues of journals are never “out;” they are always accessible, and in excellent condition. The capacity for searching across disciplines opens up vast possibilities for scholarship and research.
Oral History Online provides in-depth indexing to more than 1,800 collections of Oral History in English from around the world. The collection also provides keyword searching of more than 75,000 pages of full-text by some 2,500 individuals from all walks of life. It also contains pointers to some 500 audio and video files and nearly 7,900 bibliographic records.
In addition to digitized books, pamphlets and images, Women Working includes selections from Harvard University’s Louise Bosworth Collection. A prominent researcher, Bosworth’s work focused on surveys of the income and expenses of Boston’s working women, and her personal records provide insight into what was at the turn of the century a new type of professional woman.
Other Useful Databases
The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries knits together more than 1,000 sources of diaries, letters, and memoirs to provide fast access to thousands of views on almost every aspect of the war, including what was happening at home.
A comprehensive database of biographical information on nearly 300,000 notable people throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. The database also includes full-text articles from nearly 250 periodicals. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death years, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search path.
CountryWatch provides a variety of facts on over 192 countries, from basic information such as statistics and important persons, to maps and currency converters, to encyclopedic resources on history and economy. This database is extremely valuable for the history major or any student researching the United States.
For students studying local and regional history, the Digital Library of Appalachia is an excellent resource. The DLA seeks to provide online access to archival and historical materials related to the culture of the southern and central Appalachian region. The over 1000 items in the database include reproductions of photographs, reformatted typed pages, published books, unpublished manuscripts, personal diaries and correspondence, journal and newspaper articles, musical recordings, oral history recordings and transcripts, and other related reproductions.
Includes more than 100,000 pages of letters, diaries, memoirs, and accounts of early encounters between American Indians, Europeans, Africans, and Americans on the North American continent between 1534-1860. All materials include descriptions of North America, either its natural features or interactions among various cultural groups.
HeritageQuest Database allows users to search a variety of resources for genealogists. Users can search a variety of resources including census data, books, articles, Revolutionary War era pension and bounty-land warrant application files, and the Freeman’s Bank.
The E-Book Project contains full-text access to 500 books of high quality in the field of history. These are works of major importance to historical studies—books that remain vital to both scholars and advanced students, and are frequently cited in the literature.
Issues & Controversies is the authoritative online source of up-to-date, in-depth and objective information on the most prominent and hotly debated issues of the day. Chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, bibliographies and contact information augment the balanced, accurate coverage of current and historical events.
The collection includes one of the most comprehensive bibliographies of women’s diaries and letters yet published. It lists over 2,000 published and unpublished items from a variety of sources, including online resources and microform.
The 128 volumes of the Official Records provide the most comprehensive, authoritative, and voluminous reference on Civil War operations. The reports contained in the Official Records are those of the principal leaders who fought the battles and then wrote their assessments days, weeks, and sometimes months later. The Official Records are the eyewitness accounts of the veterans themselves.
Contains nearly 5 million full-text articles on topics that relate directly to Southern living, both past and present, including people, places, historical events and more.
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) is a program of the State Library and Archives to create a digital repository of Tennessee history and culture. The mission is to bring electronic versions of the state’s rich collections to a wider audience. TeVA provides a searchable array of historical records, photographs, documents, maps, postcards, film, audio and other original materials of enduring value.
From King George’s Proclamation of 1763 to the earliest purchase of land from Native Americans to the first Constitutions of the State of Tennessee, these are among the most important records from our past. Significant milestones in the formation and early history of the state are presented here for the first time in digital form taken directly from the originals, with full transcription and accompanying historical text. These Landmark Documents are available for citizens and students to search, study, and download.
The series will continue with future installments of Tennessee’s recorded heritage from the 1830s to the Civil War and beyond.
Volunteer Voices Tennessee’s first statewide digital collection. Volunteer Voices began as an idea within Tenn-Share, a resource sharing consortium, to build a statewide network of primary resources that would be accessible to all.
Volunteer Voices is Tennessee’s statewide digitization program involving the state’s archives, libraries, repositories, historic homes and museums. Its goals are to develop digital collections that document Tennessee’s history and culture; facilitate use of these collections in K-16 classrooms and by the general public; and offer training opportunities for personnel to learn digitization standards and best practices. In 2003, the University of Tennessee submitted a proposal to the Institute of Museum and Library Services on behalf of ten partner institutions, Tenn-Share, and the citizens of Tennessee to create a mulit-institution, multi-type digital collection to increase access to the rich materials held in Tennessee’s archives, libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions.
Multidisciplinary
This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for nearly 4,500 journals, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed titles. PDF back files to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for 1,000 titles.
An Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) index of articles from the contents pages of journals.
A comprehensive database of biographical information on nearly 300,000 notable people throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. The database also includes full-text articles from nearly 250 periodicals. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death years, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search path.
An Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) collection of scholary journals.
Web provides a combination of indexing, abstracts, images, and full text for scholarly and general interest journals embracing all academic disciplines. The full-text for some titles may be subject to publisher-imposed embargo periods.
A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles, many with images. Updated daily.
U.S. Government Publications.
The JSTOR archive holds the complete digitized back runs of core scholarly journals, starting with the very first issues, some dating as far back as the1600s. New titles and disciplines are being added regularly. Issues of journals are never “out;” they are always accessible, and in excellent condition. The capacity for searching across disciplines opens up vast possibilities for scholarship and research.
NetLibrary provides access to digital versions of books from a broad range of subject areas and topics.
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) catalog of online electronic books available through libraries worldwide.
Online Computer Library Center index of papers presented at conferences worldwide.
Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debate, developing arguments, writing position papers, and for development of critical thinking skills.
An Online Computer Library Center index of worldwide conference proceedings.
Online Computer Library Center catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide.
A database of all dissertations and theses available in WorldCat.
Organizations
The American Historical Association (AHA) was founded in 1884 and incorporated by Congress in 1889 to serve the broad field of history. It encompasses every historical period and geographical area and serves professional historians in all areas of employment.
The Organization of American Historians is the largest learned society devoted to the study of American history. Since its founding in 1907 as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, the OAH has promoted the study and teaching of the American past through its many activities.
Reference Tools
A comprehensive database of biographical information on nearly 300,000 notable people throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. The database also includes full-text articles from nearly 250 periodicals. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death years, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search path.
Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries is the premier source for reviews of academic books, electronic media, and Internet resources of interest to those in higher education. More than 35,000 librarians, faculty, and key decision makers rely on Choice magazine and ChoiceReviews.online for collection development and scholarly research.
CountryWatch provides a variety of facts on over 192 countries, from basic information such as statistics and important persons, to maps and currency converters, to encyclopedic resources on history and economy. This database is extremely valuable for the history major or any student researching the United States.
FACTS.com brings together complete content from the Facts On File World News Digest and a live newsfeed from Reuters to answer questions about events, issues, statistics and people from 1940 to the present. It also delivers maps, photographs, historic documents, and special overviews of key issues, newsmakers and events since 1940.
FACTS.com brings together complete content from the Facts On File World News Digest, Issues & Controversies, Today’s Science, World Almanac, and World Almanac Encyclopedia to answer questions about events, issues, statistics and people of the last 60+ years.
Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7. Because each library creates its own eBook collection, the content you see may vary if you use the database at different libraries (your school, your public library, or your office).
A general interest database that integrates a variety of sources in one search interface. Use this database to find articles from newspapers, reference books, and periodicals. Many items contain full-text and images.
This database is a user-friendly great place for consumers to start researching health topics. It provides full-text access to health related magazines, journals, pamphlets, newspapers, encyclopedias, videos, and even Web sites.
This collection contains full text current content from over 100 journals, which will help information professionals of many kinds to grow in their areas of expertise.
Learning Express Library is a comprehensive, interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help patrons—students and adult learners—succeed on the academic or licensing tests they must pass. You’ll get immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of your results. Click on a category to the right so that you can start on your path to success right now.
Contains descriptive information & critical reviews of commercially-available standardized English-language educational, personality, aptitude, neuropsychological, achievement & intelligence tests.
MLA International Bibliography offers a detailed bibliography of journal articles, books and dissertations. Produced by the Modern Language Association, the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains over 1.8 million citations from more than 4,400 journals & series and 1,000 book publishers. The indexed materials coverage is international and includes almost 60 titles from J-STOR’s language and literature collection as well as links to full text.
A dictionary of the English language providing the meaning, history, and pronounciation of over half a million words, both present and past. Provides extensive background on the current and historical usage of words through over 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of English-language sources. The full text of all entries is searchable.
This database contains several online reference books on performing arts including The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. The collection contains over 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works in a fully-indexed, cross-searchable database.
Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debate, developing arguments, writing position papers, and for development of critical thinking skills.
Polling the Nations contains the results of over 14,000 national and international surveys from Gallup Poll, Roper, and many other reputable polling organizations. Surveys contained in this database can reveal much about financial investments opinions, public policy, employee job satisfaction, money management, and consumer trends.
Ulrich’s is a bibliographic database providing detailed, comprehensive, and authoritative information on serials published throughout the world. It covers all subjects, and includes publications that are published regularly or irregularly and are circulated free of charge or by paid subscription
What Do I Read Next? includes over 100,000 recommended titles, more than 58,000 plot summaries, and awards information from 562 awards. Search by genre, subject, author, title, and series. A monthly highlights page allows the user to see selections of award winners, upcoming titles, and titles that revolve around different subjects each month.
Contains the full text of more than 22,000 articles in Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia.
FACTS.com brings together complete content from the Facts On File World News Digest and a live newsfeed from Reuters to answer questions about events, issues, statistics and people from 1940 to the present. It also delivers maps, photographs, historic documents, and special overviews of key issues, newsmakers and events since 1940.
Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia and four additional almanacs.
Useful Links
The Center for History and New Media at George Mason University has used digital media and computer technology to democratize history—to incorporate multiple voices, reach diverse audiences, and encourage popular participation in presenting and preserving the past.
A Rutgers University Library Subject Guide on African-American History and Culture Resources.
The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), collects and preserves books and records of historical, documentary and reference value, and promotes library and archival development throughout the state.
The American Civil War Homepage gathers together in one place hypertext links to the most useful identified electronic files about the American Civil War (1861-1865).
A Bibliography of sources about Women in Tennessee History.
We can help!
Laura Slavin
Lincoln Memorial University
Carnegie-Vincent Library
History Librarian
423-869-6218
laura.slavin@lmunet.edu
Lincoln Memorial University
Carnegie-Vincent Library
423-869-7079
library@lmunet.edu