Reading about your topic in a specialized encyclopedia, dictionary, or handbook is often an important and time saving research step. Reference resources can help you define unfamiliar terms. They can also help you narrow your topic by summarizing significant aspects or sub-topics of a subject you are not thoroughly familiar with or possibly by enumerating the parameters of current debate on the subject. You can find important American History reference sources on this page.
Search dozens of Oxford University reference books.
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present by
Focusing on the making of African American society from the 1896 "separate but equal" ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson up to the contemporary period, this encyclopedia traces the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Migration, the Brownruling that overturned Plessy, the Civil Rights Movement, and the ascendant influence of African American culture on the American cultural landscape.Covering African American history in all areas of U.S. history and culture from 1896 to the present, the Encyclopedia contains approximately 1,200 fully cross-referenced entries that are all signed by leading scholars and experts, making this five-volume set the most reliable and extensive treatmentto be found on African American history in the twentieth century. The set also contains 500 images and roughly 640 biographies, as well as an entry on each of the fifty states. In addition to its comprehensive coverage of African Americans, the Encyclopedia also contains entries about key figureswho affected the lives of African Americans in particular and Americans in general. Unrivalled in breadth and scope, this is the preeminent source of information on this topic and is destined to become a trusted reference source for years to come.
Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History by
The Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History surveys the richly layered dimensions of American life in a format that clarifies the many issues, ideas, movements and places that constitute the American experience. How is the West defined as a cultural region? What did the notions of "secession" and "union" mean to Americans living in the 1860s? How does Disney pervade and influence perceptions about America today? In more than 200 articles written by scholars and enriched with illustrations, boxed biographies and documentary excerpts from primary sources, American thought and culture is thoroughly explored. The Encyclopedia covers not only historic periods such as the Colonial era and the Reagan era, but also looks at cultural groups such as the working class and cultural institutions and forms such as the university and cinema.
Encyclopedia of American History by
This 11-volume set contains, in one chronological compilation, the history of the United States of America from its prehistoric ancestors to its 21st-century citizens. It seeks to offer a balanced presentation of the political, social, economic and cultural events that have shaped the nation. Topics covered include: the first settling of the land; the historical convergence of European, African and Native American peoples beginning in the late-15th century; the period during which America built itself physically through industrialization and territorial expansion and ideologically through economic, political and social growth and reform; how America made the ideals of liberty, equality, justice and human dignity a reality after Reconstruction; the rapid expansion of the US economy into an industrial power; the influential people, places and events that created American history after World War II and into the early 1970s; and the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.
The 9/11 Encyclopedia by
Horror. Sadness. Protests. Military action. Conspiracy theories. From personal loss to economic upheaval to a paradigm shift in U.S. foreign relations, few events in the past 100 years have impacted American life so greatly as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This comprehensive two-volume set details every event leading up to 9/11, going back up to a decade prior to the attacks, and including all participants from any place in the world. Also covered are events since the attack that have influenced our understanding of the ordeal. With A-Z entries, descriptive sidebars, and over 40 primary documents, The 9/11 Encyclopedia is an essential source for understanding one of the blackest marks on the pages of American history.
The Historical Statistics of the United States by
Long the standard source for quantitative indicators of American history, a new edition of Historical Statistics of the United States is something that reference librarians, historians, and social scientists have long awaited. Not since the Bicentennial Edition was published in 1975 has new data and material been available. Utilizing information from the 2000 Census, this essential reference has been updated for the new millennium providing rich materials for both contemporary and historical researchers. This is a monumental work of collaborative scholarship providing a comprehensive compendium of statistics from over 1,000 sources recording every aspect of the history of the United States from population to prices; from voting patterns to Vietnam veterans; from energy to education; from abortions to zinc and everything in between. Over 80 scholars have contributed their efforts and expertise to select, assemble, and document the data, to write the introductory essays, and to analyze the material.
