Find Background Information

Use encyclopedias for an overview of your topic, for definintions and explanations, and for lists of suggested readings. This list is SELECTIVE! Ask a Librarian for others.

Reference area (first floor)

Americans at War: Society, Culture, & the Homefront — 973 A5126
- Vol. 2 covers 1816-1990 and includes many Civil War & Reconstruction topics such as: KKK, Civil Liberties and the Civil War, Fredrick Douglass, Music and the Civil War, Abolitionists.
American National Biography — 920.073 AME
- Biographies of thousands of American figures in history. Example: Nat Turner, Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Conspiracy Theories in American History —973.03 C7555
- Overview entries on Abolitionism, Fugitive Slave Act, Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, KKK. Provides many further reading references.
Encyclopedia of African American Culture & History — 973.0496 E56
- Thorough entries on topics relating to the African American experience. Entries include: Abolitionism, Dred Scott, Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, etc.
Encyclopedia of American Civil Rights and Liberties-- 342.73085 E562
- Entries on topics related to Civil Rights including: Abolitionist Movement, Jim Crow Laws, Court Case of Dred Scott.
Historic U.S. Court Cases 1690-1990 -- 349.73
- see Part IV: cases on Race & Gender in American Law. Provides thorough explanation of the law and court case. For example: "Upholding the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793: Prigg v. Pennsylvania" and "No Right to Vote: The Reconstruction Election Cases: US v. Reese and US v. Cruikshank"
Speeches of American Presidents -- 353.035 POD
- Provides short biography of the President and the full text of major speeches. For example: Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address, the Gettysburg Address, and speeches of Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes.
Encyclopedia of Historical Treaties & Alliances -- 341.3709 P558e
- Vol. 1 contains a section on the Civil War. Entries include a thorough overview of the Civil War & Reconstruction, summaries of the treaties and agreements, as well as the full text of the treaties and agreements. Included are the: Emancipation Proclamation, proclomations ending the War, Reconstruction Amendments to the Constitution and more.
Women During the Civil War (on order)
- contains primary documents
Atlas of the Civil War (on order)
- maps of the war

Find Books & Videos at the Landmark College Library

This list is selective! Use WebCat to search for other books, ebooks, and films at the Landmark College Library.

Ask a librarian if you need help.

Book stacks (second floor)

Classics of Civil War Fiction —1991-- ed. David Madden — 813.081CLA
The Boys War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War — 1990 -- Jim Murphy — 973.7 MUR
Gender and Jim Crow: women and the politics of white supremacy in North Carolina 1896-1920 — 1996-- Glenda E. Gilmore — 324.089 GIL
Uncle Tom's Cabin -- Harriet Beecher Stowe -- FIC STO
Mary Todd Lincoln: a biography — 1987 -- Jean Baker — 973.7 BAK
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave -- 2004-- Frederick Douglass-- 973.8 D7375N
Slaves without Masters: the free Negro in the antebellum South -- 1981-- Ira Berlin-- 305.8 BER
Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln -- 2005 -- Doris K. Goodwin-- 973.7092 L736XG
Families and Freedom: a documentary history of African American kinship in the Civil War era -- 1997-- Ira Berlin-- 973.0496073 FAM
West from Appomattox: the reconstruction of America after the Civil War -- 2007 -- Heather Cox Richardson-- (on order, ask at front desk)
Forever Free: the story of emancipation and reconstruction --2005-- Eric Foner-- (on order, ask at front desk)
A Voice of Thunder: the Civil War letters of George E. Stephens -- 1997-- George E. Stephens -- 973.7415 STE
A Woman Doctor's Civil War: Esther Hawks' diary --1984-- Esther Hawk-- 973.775 HAW
All for the Union: A history of the 2nd Rhode Island volunteer infantry-- 1985-- Elisha Hunt Rhodes-- 973.7445 RHOavid M. C
Hooded Americanism: the history of the Ku Klux Klan-- 1968-- David M. Chalmers-- 322.42 CHA
A Very Different Age: Americans of the Progressive Era -- 1998-- Steven J. Diner -- on order, ask at front desk

EBooks (Find others in WebCat)

Slave Narratives -- 2000-- William L. Andrews
For a Vast Future Also: Essays from the journal of Abraham Lincoln -- 1999-- Thomas F. Schwartz
At Lincoln's Side: John Hay's Civil War correspondence and selescted writings-- 2000-- John Hay
Commanding Boston's Irish Ninth: the Civil War letters of Colonel Patrick R. Guiney Ninth Massacusetts Volunteer Infantry -- 1998-- Patrick R. Guiney
Mr. Dunn Browne's Experiences in the Army: the Civil War letters of Samuel W. Fiske-- 1998-- Samuel W. Fisk

Videos in our collection (second floor)

The Civil War: 1861 The Cause [VHS] — 973.7 CIV
Struggle for Freedom [VHS]-- 973.71 STR
Glory [VHS] 791.4372 GLO
Ambrose Bierce's An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge [DVD] -- 791.4372 O155
Frederick Douglass: when the lion wrote history [VHS] -- 973.8 FRE
Uncle Tom's Cabin [VHS]-- 791.4372 U545

Find Books & Videos Available at Other Libraries

Search in WorldCat for materials available from other libraries.
Bring a print out of the book you want to the front desk of the library.
Allow up to two weeks (average is one week) for the materials to arrive.

Find Articles

Have a citation for an article?

Search for the title of the journal in Serials Solutions to see if the full text is available in one of our databases.
If the full text is not available bring the citation to the front desk of the library. They will get the article from another library.

Databases

Issues & Controversies in American History

Articles on the most contentious issues in American history. Includes biographies, timelines, primary documents, pro and con articles, and more.
For example, see entries for Civil War: Reconstruction or Civil War: Secession of the Southern States.

Academic Search Premier

Scholarly articles from journals and magazines. Includes book reviews.
Hint: Use "quoation marks" to search for phrases. Once you have a results list, Narrow By Subject.
Try an Advanced Search and search for terms in the Abstract.

General OneFile

Scholarly articles from journals, magazines, and newspaper reports.
Hint: Make sure you click on the Academic Journals tab!!
Try a Subject Guide Search and use the Subdivisions to narrow your topic. Hint: use only one very broad term Example: Civil War
OR
Try an Advanced Search and search for terms in the Abstract field. Hint: search for more than one term at a time. Put each term on a different line. Example: Sexuality, Japan

New York Times Archive Online

Search the NY Times archive from 1851-1980. Hint: Use the pull down menu on the Home Page to search the yeras 1851-1980.

Websites

Use the Website Evaluation Checklist to evaluate your web sources.

To find collections of primary sources use a search engine, type in your subject, and the words "primary sources" or "primary documents". This often will bring up online collections. Keep in mind that not everything is online! See a librarian for help!

American Slave Narratives: An Online Anthology http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html
- Transcripts of slave interviews.
The Valley of the Shadow http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/
- Provides primary sources from two communities, one from the North and one from the South: maps, newspapers, letters & diaries, etc. Organized into three sections: The Eve of the War, The War, The Aftermath.
African American Odessy http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/aohome.html
- Link to online collections of interviews (transcripts), photographs, and more. Collections include: From Slavery to Freedom, Born in Slavery, Frederick Douglass Papers, Slaves and the Courts.
Civl War Women: Primary Sources on the Internet http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/bingham/guides/cwdocs.html
- Provides diaries, letters, journals, and other documents from women of the Civil War. Includes a diary of a female Confederate spy, and documents from the Ladies Union Aid Society.
Voices from the Days of Slavery http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/
- 23 audio recording interniews of former slaves
- 7 recordings also have transcripts, click here for those seven.

Citations

Use the Landmark College Citation Guide

Need Help??

Contact your class librarian Elizabeth Dolinger extension 1628
Or the Main Desk of the Library extension 1648

Please fill out the Muddiest Point class evaluation!!