Encyclopedias/Reference tools

  • Encyclopedias and other reference tools can efficiently provide you with useful background information and context to help guide your studies.
  • Think of them as wikipedia-substitutes - the best encyclopedias have contributations from scholarly experts the the field.
  • They often point you towards important researchers, and lists of books and articles for further study.

GENERAL

Reference Universe
If you are not sure which encyclopedia might contain an article on your topic, type it into Reference Universe for suggestions. This tool indexes thousands of print and electronic reference books.

Gale Virtual Reference Library
Full text access a collection of reference books - over thirty in the area of history.

UNITED STATES

American National Biography
Biographical information on more than 17,400 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the nation.

American Decades (9 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. E169.12 .A419 1994
Starting with 1900-1909, this set of volumes gives the flavor of each decade in this century. Covers topics such as arts, business and economics, education, fashion, government and politics, law and justice, lifestyles and social trends, media, health and medicine, religion, science and technology, and sports.

Dictionary of American History (10 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. E174 .D52 2003

Encyclopedia of American History (11 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. E174 .E53 2003
Volumes arranged by chronological period.

Encyclopedia of American Social History (3 vols.)
Volume 1 contains articles about specific historical periods.
D. H. Hill Ref. HN57 .E58 1993

Encyclopedia of the North American Colonies
D. H. Hill Ref. E45 .E53 1993

Encyclopedia of the American Civil War
D. H. Hill Ref. E468 .H47 2000

Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century (5 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. E169.1 .E626 2001

Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History (6 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. E185 .E54 2006

Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History (3 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. E169.1 .E624 2001

U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS

Encyclopedia of U.S Foreign Relations
D. H. Hill Ref. E183.7 .E53 1997 Arranged alphabetically - you can look up a president for an overview.

Chronological History of U.S. Foreign Relations
D. H. Hill Ref. E183.7 .B745 2003 Arranged chronologically - you can look for the time period of interest.

LATIN AMERICAN

Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
D. H. Hill Ref. F1406 .E53 1996

EUROPE

Ancient Europe 8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000: Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World (2 vols.)
D. H. Hill Jr. Ref. D62 .A52 2004

Dictionary of the Middle Ages (14 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. D114 .D5 1982

Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation
D. H. Hill Ref. BR302.8 .O93 1996

Europe 1789 to 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire
view resource online

Encyclopedia of European Social History from 1350-2000 (6 vols.)
D. H. Hill Ref. HN373 .E63 2001

AFRICA

Encyclopedia of African History and Culture
D. H. Hill Ref. DT3 .P27 2001

ASIA

Civilizations of the Ancient Near East
D. H. Hill Ref. DS57 .C55 1995

Encyclopedia of Asian History
D. H. Hill Ref.DS31 .E53 1988

Encyclopedia of India
D. H. Hill Jr. Ref. DS405 .E556 2006

Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War
D. H. Hill Ref. DS557.7 .E535 1998

Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World
D. H. Hill Ref. DS35.53 .O95 1995