Librarian for U.S. History

Andrew H. Lee
Phone: (212) 998-2517
E-mail: andrew.lee@nyu.edu

NYU Links

• Collection Development Policy for History
• Department of History website

Related Subject Guides

• African-American Studies

• Finding 18th and 19th Century Periodical Articles and Literature

• New York City

• News and Events--Historical

• Political Science

• Primary Sources in U.S. History

• United Nations Resources

• U. S. Government Documents

• U.S. Labor Studies

Research Assistance

• Getting Started with Historical Research

Internet Links

• H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online
  "H-Net is an international interdisciplinary organization of scholars and teachers dedicated to the enormous educational potential of the Internet and the World Wide Web."
• History Cooperative
• The American Historical Association (AHA)
• The Organization of American Historians
• http://www.oah.org
• Directory of Dissertations in Progress (from the AHA)
• History Departments Around the World
• Repositories of Primary Sources
• Ready, Net, Go: Archival Internet Resources
• Making of America
• American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
• Historical Census Data Browser
• National Register of Historic Places
• Historical Maps of the United States
  From the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, the University of Texas at Austin
• Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1775-2000
• American Historical Documents, 1000-1904
• African American Women Writers of the 19th Century
• http://chnm.gmu.edu/probateinventory/index.php
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States

Finding Books in Bobcat

Place names:
Can be names of countries, regions, states, or cities.
Subdivisions:
Describe the particular emphasis of the book.
Time period:
Refers to the years covered by the book. Time period designations vary according to place name and are not included for all headings.

The following examples illustrate possible subject searches for various aspects of late 19-century history:

Sometimes, however, you may find an alternate pattern, with a specific subject listed first. For example:

For more information, consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), a 5-volume set which contains the subject headings used in BobCat and other library catalogs. Look under the place name or subject to see the appropriate subdivisions and time periods. Copies of LCSH are located in all reference centers.

Indexes

Articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals are an important source of information for research in the field of history. The following indexes are key for finding articles in the field of US History.

• America: History and Life. 1964-present
  A searchable index to citations related to the history and culture of the U.S. and Canada from prehistoric times to the present. Provides abstracts of articles from about 1,700 journals published around the world in numerous languages. Also includes citations to reviews, books, and dissertations. Dynamic links are availble for several full text services such as Jstor and Project Muse.
  The first place to look for articles and more on all topics in US and Canadian history.

Guides to Historical Literature

Guides to Historical Literature are a good place to begin research on a new topic. They provide an overview of key sources, and include citations to various types of materials.

• American Historical Association. Guide to Historical Literature. 3rd ed. 2 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
  REF1 Z6201 .A55 1995
  An annotated guide to scholarly works in history for all periods and areas of the world, compiled by specialists in the field. Each of the 48 sections provides an introductory essay and extensive list of recommended books and articles; Colonial North America and the United States are covered in several sections of Volume 2. Coverage is concentrated on works published since 1963. Includes author and subject indexes.
• Harvard Guide to American History. Rev. ed. 2 vols. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1974.
  REF1 and Stacks Z1236 .F77 1974
  The standard introductory bibliography, still useful although in need of updating. Volume 1 provides citations to recommended books organized by subject; volume 2 is chronological.
• Prucha, F. P. Handbook for Research in American History: A Guide to Bibliographies and other Reference Works. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1994.
  REF1 Z1236 .P78 1994
  An excellent narrative overview of historical sources, arranged by type of material: newspapers, government documents, encyclopedias, biographical sources, etc. A great help for the student researcher.
• American Studies: An Annotated Bibliography. 3 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986; with 2 volume Supplement.
  REF1 Z1361 .C6A436 1986 and REF1 Z1361.C6 S35 1990
  Offers annotated listings of books on American culture published between 1900 and 1983 in 11 subject fields, including literature, music, history, popular culture, art and architecture. Supplement covers period from 1984-1988.
• Reference Sources in History: An Introductory Guide. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2004.
  REF1 Z6201 .F72 2004
  This volume describes all types of reference materials useful to historians, including bibliographies, periodical guides and indexes, newspaper indexes, statistical sources, and government publications.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Often overlooked, dictionaries and encyclopedias provide overviews of important topics in US History, and usually provide bibliographies for further study.

A. General

Title: A bibliography of songsters printed in America before 1821 / Irving
Lowens.
Author: Lowens, Irving, 1916-1983
Publisher: Worcester, Mass. : American Antiquarian Society, 1976.
Description: xxxviii, 229 p. ; 25 cm.
Subject (LCSH): Songs, English -- United States -- Bibliography. Songs, English
-- United States -- Texts -- Bibliography.
Notes: Bibliography: p. xxxiv-xxxviii. Includes indexes.
ISBN: 0912296054 :
Location/Call Number:
Location/Call Number:
NYU Bobst MusicRef ML128.S69 L917 Non-circulating Available

• Encyclopedia Britannica
  http://library.nyu.edu/collections/databases.html
  REF1 AE5 .E363
  A great resource for a definition, short biography, or quick overview of any topic.
• Dictionary of American History. 3rd ed. 10 vols. New York: Scribner, 2003.
  http://tinyurl.com/ogsaj
  REF1 E174.D52 2003
  An encyclopedia with articles on events, ideas, documents, places, and other subjects, but not people.
• The Reader's Companion to American History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1991.
  REF1 E174.R43 1991
  One volume encyclopedia with long articles, cross-references, and bibliographies for further study.
• The Reader's Guide to American History. Ed. Peter J. Parish. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1997.
  REF1 E178.R43 1997
  Located with the bibliographies, this guide provides encyclopedic entries with references for topics in American History from the colonial period through recent history.

B. Thematic

• A Companion to American Thought. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1995.
  REF1 E169.1 C685 1995
• Encyclopedia of American Economic History: Studies of the Principal Movements and Ideas. 3 vols. New York: Scribner, 1980.
  REF6 & Stacks HC103 .E52 Oversize
• Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. 2 vols. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999.
  REF1 HC102 .G35 1999
• Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations. 4 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
  REF1 & REF6 E183.7 E53 1997
• Encyclopedia of American Political History: Studies of the Principal Movements and Ideas. 3 vols. New York: Scribner, 1984.
  REF6 E183 .E5 1984
• Encyclopedia of the American Presidency. 4 vols. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.
  REF6 JK511 .E53 1994
• Encyclopedia of American Social History. 3 vols. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1993.
  REF1 HN57 .E58 1993

C. Specific Eras

• American Eras. 8 vols. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997-.
  REF1 E169.1 .A471979 1997
  Along with American Decades (see below) this multi-volume set discusses different time periods in history from a variety of angles. American Eras covers periods from exploration through 1900. American Decades covers the period 1900-1990. Each chapter considers its timeframe from a variety of perspectives, including: World Events; The Arts; Business and the Economy; Communication; Education; Government and Politics; Law and Justice; Lifestyles and Social Trends; Religion; Science and Technology; Sports and Recreation. Highly illustrated with timelines and chronologies. Excellent for overviews.
• American Decades. 10 vols. Detroit: Gale Research, 1994-.
  REF1 E169.12 .A419 1994
• Encyclopedia of the North American Colonies. 3 vols. New York: Scribner, 1993.
  REF1 E45 .E53 1993
• Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century. 4 vols. and index. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996.
  REF1 E740.7 E53 1996
• Historical Dictionary of the New Deal: From Inauguration to Preparation for War. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1985.
  REF1 E806 .H58 1985

D. Regional

• Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989.
  REF1 F209 .E53 1989
• Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. 4 vols. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
  REF1 E487 .E55 1993
• Encyclopedia of the American West. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 1996.
  REF1 F591 .E485 1996

Women's History

• Title: American mass-market magazines / edited by Alan Nourie and Barbara
  Nourie.
  Publisher: New York : Greenwood Press, 1990.
  Description: x, 611 p. ; 25 cm.
  Series: Historical guides to the world's periodicals and newspapers, 0742-5538 Subject (LCSH): American periodicals -- History.
  Other author(s): Nourie, Barbara. Nourie, Alan.
  Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
  ISBN: 0313252548 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) Location/Call Number:
  Location/Call Number:
  NYU Bobst REF1 PN4877 .A48 1990 Non-circulating c. 1
  Available

Record #2 Database: BobCat

Title: American humor magazines and comic periodicals / edited by David E.E.
Sloane.
Publisher: New York : Greenwood Press, c1987.
Description: xxxv, 648 p. ; 25 cm.
Series: Historical guides to the world's periodicals and newspapers, 0742-5538 Subject (LCSH): American wit and humor -- Periodicals -- History. American wit
and humor -- Periodicals -- Bibliography. American periodicals --
History. American periodicals -- Bibliography.
Other author(s): Sloane, David E. E., 1943-
Notes: Bibliography: p. [593]-595. Includes index.
ISBN: 0313239568 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) Location/Call Number:
Location/Call Number:
NYU Bobst REF1 PN4880 .A46 1987 Non-circulating c. 1
Available
NYHS NYHistSoc PN4880 .A46 1987 Non-circulating c. 1 Available

Record #3 Database: BobCat

Title: A history of American magazines.
Author: Mott, Frank Luther, 1886-1964.
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton, [c1930-1968]
Description: 5 v. : ill., ports., facsims. ; 23 cm.
Subject (LCSH): American periodicals -- History. American periodicals --
Bibliography.
Other titles: American magazines.
Notes: Vol. 2 has imprint: Cambridge : Harvard University Press; later printings
of v. 1-5 : Cambridge : Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
"Chronological list of magazines" at end of each volume. Includes
bibliographical references.
Contents: [v. 1.] 1741-1850 -- v. 2. 1850-1865 -- v. 3. 1865-1885 -- v. 4.
1885-1905 -- v. 5. Sketches of 21 magazines, 1905-1930, with a
cumulative index to the 5 vols.
Location/Call Number:
Location/Call Number:
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.1 Available
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.2 Available
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.3 Available
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.4 Due: 10/31/07 21:45
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.1 Due: 10/31/07 21:45
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.2 Due: 10/31/07 21:45
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.4 Available
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.1 Due: 10/31/07 21:45
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.2 Available
NYU Bobst PN4877 .M63 1930
v.1 Available
NYU Bobst SpecColRef PN4877 .M63 1930 Non-circulating
v.1 Available
NYU Bobst SpecColRef PN4877 .M63 1930 Non-circulating
v.2 Available
NYU Bobst SpecColRef PN4877 .M63 1930 Non-circulating
v.3 Available
NYU Bobst SpecColRef PN4877 .M63 1930 Non-circulating
v.4 Available
NYU Bobst SpecColRef PN4877 .M63 1930 Non-circulating
v.5 Available

• Encyclopedia of Women's History in America. 2nd ed. New York: Facts on File, 2000.
  REF1 HQ1410 .C85 2000
  Articles on important events, persons, legislation, organizations, etc. With an appendix of documents.
• Handbook of American Women's History. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2000.
  REF1 HQ1410 .H36 2000
• Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia. 3 vols. New York: OUP: 2005.
  REF1 E185.86 .B542 2005
• Journal of Women's History Guide to Periodical Literature. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992.
  REF1 Z7962 .F57 1992
  A subject listing of approximately 5,500 English-language articles on women's history which appeared in various historical, social science and women's studies journals from 1980 to 1990.
• Cline, Cheryl. Women's Diaries, Journals and Letters: an annotated bibliography. New York: Garland, 1989.
  REF1 Z7963 .B6 C55 1989
  A lengthy listing of published women's personal writings of all kinds.

Ethnic History

The following titles represent only a few reference sources for the study of Ethnic-American History. To find additional titles, or titles for specific ethnic groups, search in BobCat with subject keywords (sw=) for the name of the ethnic group you are researching with the subject term "encyclopedias." Try, for example "sw=afro-americans and encyclopedias"; "sw=indians of north america and encyclopedias," etc.

• Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1980.
  REF1 & REF6 E184.A1 H35
  A standard work, with detailed articles and lengthy bibliographies on virtually all ethnic groups.
• Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. 2 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1995.
  REF1 E184 .A1 G14 1995
  Articles on the history, language and customs of a wide variety of immigrant and ethnic groups.
• Multiculturalism in the United States: A Comparative Guide to Acculturation and Ethnicity. Rev. and exp. ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2005.
  NewSchool E184 .A1 M85 2005 and REF1 & Stacks E184 .A1 M85 1992
• American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation. 2 vols. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1997.
  REF1 E184 .A1 .A63448 1997

Biography

• American National Biography. 10 volumes plus supplements and index. New York: Scribner.
  http://library.nyu.edu/collections/databases.html
  REF1 and Bobst E176 .D563
  A scholarly compilation, with lengthy articles and short bibliographies on Americans who died before 1981.
• Who Was Who in America. 1607-. 12 vols with index. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who. 1943-.
  REF1 E663 .W62
  Use the index (1607-2000) to determine which volume contains the biographical entry.
  Each biographical entry provides the following data only: family relationships, political affiliations, key positions held, awards, published writings, and other basic facts and vital statistics. Approximately every three years, Who Was Who incorporates sketches of Who's Who biographees who have died since publication of the prior volume of Who Was Who in America.

Statistics

For more statistical sources, see the "Statistics and Data Resources" section in the Government Information Subject Page.

• Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970. 2 vols. Washington, DC: Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1975.
  REF1 & Stacks HC202 .B87 1975
  REF6 HA202 .B87 1997 CD-ROM
  SuDoc # C3134/2.H62/970 (ask at the REF6 desk)
• Historical Statistics of the States of the United States: Two Centuries of the Census, 1790-1990. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993.
  REF1 & REF6 HA214 .H57 1993
• Bibliography of American Demographic History: The Literature From 1984 to 1994. Westport, CT: Greenwood Pess, 1995.
  REF1 HB3505 .G438 1995

Historical Atlases

• The Routledge Atlas of American History. Ed. Martin Gilbert. New York: Routledge, 2006.
  REF1 G1201 .S1 G532 2006
• Mapping America's Past: A Historical Atlas. Ed. Mark C. Carnes. New York: H. Holt, 1996.
  REF1 G1201.S1 C3 1996
• The History Atlas of North America. Ed. Philip Davies. New York: Macmillan, 1998.
  REF1 G1106.S1 D3 1998