College of DuPage Library

20th Century World History

Welcome to the Twentieth Century World History Research Guide

Click on a tab below to find books, articles, primary sources and websites for use in the study of Twentieth Century World History.

If you need additional help, please contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk. You can also get help from our online reference service: Ask A Librarian

 

  1. Books
  2. Databases
  3. Primary Sources / Websites

Finding Books

Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. Use the search fields to combine multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language.

Some suggested searches include searching by continent. Of course you can substitute any of the individual countries. There are other subheadings that may be of interest too. If you are not finding what you are looking for, contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk.

Recommended search terms:

  • [Country or continent] AND history
  • [Country or continent] AND “social life and customs”
  • [Country or continent] AND civilization
  • [Country or continent] AND “intellectual life”
  • [Country or continent] AND “politics and government”
  • "[Country] relations [Country]"

You can also search by topic. For example:

  • "Cold War"
  • Holocaust
  • "World Politics"
  • "World War I"

You'll need a current library card to check out books.

I-Share

I-Share allows you to borrow books from over 80 Illinois academic libraries. You must have a current COD library card, and create an account to request books from an I-Share library.

E-book Collections

Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

  • ebrary

    • Collection contains many History-related books. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

  • EBSCO e-book collection

    • Collection includes some books on History. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

  • Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

    • This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

Reference Works

Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on topics in History.

Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

Encyclopedias
Biographies
Chronologies

Databases

The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

What are databases?

Databases are organized collections of information that you can search on a variety of fields, like title and author's name. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. Even your contacts list in your phone is a type of mini database. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our stuff is free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: http://www.codlrc.org/databases

 

Databases - Best Bets

  • Academic Search Complete

    • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

  • Academic OneFile

    • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

  • Artstor
    The Artstor Digital Library provides over 1.6 million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences with an accessible suite of software tools for teaching and research.

  • History Study Center
    Primary and secondary history collections providing access to rare British, American and world history sources, full text articles and reference materials. Includes multimedia sources.

  • JSTOR

    • Excellent source for credible scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago.

Newspaper Databases

Individual Journal Title List

Click here to view a list of History-related journals

Primary Sources

There are several areas where you can find primary source documents. Click on a link below to view lists of resources in each of these areas.


Reference Collection


General Collection
  • Historic Documents
    General E839.5 .H57

  • The Library of Original Sources
    General AC 1 .T4 1971

  • The Penguin Book of Twentieth-Century Speeches
    General D411 .P46 1994

  • The World's Best Essays
    General PN 6141 .B8 1971

  • The World's Best Orations
    General PN 6121 .B85 1970


    To locate sources in the General Collection:
    • Do an author search
      Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the outbreak of World War I, look up "Churchill, Winston" as an author and find his The World Crisis.

    • Do a title search
      Some primary sources have no known authors. For example, a known primary source on the fall of Berlin to the Russian army is A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City, the translated diary of an anonymous woman. Doing a title search shows the Library owns a copy.

    • Do a subject search
      Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up "rwandan genocide" and scan the results for those subheadings.


    Library Databases
    • Academic Search Complete To locate primary sources scroll down to "Publication Type" and select Primary Source Document.
    • Discovering Collection : Includes overview essays, critical analysis, biographies, timelines and multimedia elements. In general these are not considered to be scholarly sources, except for the primary source material.
    • History Study Center : Primary and secondary history collections providing access to British, American and world history sources, full text articles, maps, and reference materials among other types of resources.


    Websites
    Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

    You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

    The following websites have been evaluated for their credibility.


    Broad Topic
    • Internet Modern History Sourcebook
      This online gateway provides links to Web sites, electronic texts, and multimedia covering pop culture, science, religion, and politics worldwide.

    • Paper of Record
      Online access to archive of international newspapers. Free registration is required.

    • World Digital Library
      Jointly developed by UNESCO and the Library of Congress,this site has books, photos, maps and other items from around the world.

    • World History Matters
      This site offers a comprehensive list of history Web sites, many of which offer primary and multimedia sources.


    Cold War
    • American Experience: Race for the Super Bomb
      This page provides supporting materials for the PBS film “Race for the Super Bomb.” It host primary and secondary sources documents, including interviews transcripts, biographies, and maps, pertaining to the nuclear arms race during the Cold War (1945-1960).

    • The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II A Collection of Primary Sources
      Primary source documents relating to use of the Atomic Bomb, including top secret memos between scientist, military personnel and politicians. personal diaries telegrams and other documents.

    • Cold War International History Project
      This site compiles archival government documents from around the world on Cold War history, inter-Korean relations, modern Korean history, and nuclear history.

    • The National Archives Learning Curve: Cold War (
      This site is divided into six sections on the start of the cold war, the wartime Alliance, causes of the Cold War, how the Cold War “worked,” the nuclear game, and Vietnam as a possible turning point. Each section includes a timeline, glossary, student worksheets, and explanatory notes.

    • PBS: Red Files
      This page provides supporting materials for a PBS film series which covered Soviet efforts in the space race, Soviet participation in the 1952 Olympics, KGB activities during the Cold War, and Soviet propaganda during the Cold War. The site provides relevant biographies, interview transcripts, maps, archival images, timelines, and further recommended readings.


    Genocide
    • Armenian National Institute
      This site hosts a collection of reports, photo collection, documentaries, and other archival materials pertaining to the Armenian Genocide.

    • Cambodian Genocide Program
      A collection of documents, maps, images, biographies, books, and research papers on the Cambodian Genocide.

    • Erasing History: Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo
      An online archive of United States government documents, release prior to 2001, on the genocide in Kosovo.

    • Ghosts of Rwanda
      This PBS site provides a timeline of events, interviews, analyses, and videos on the Rwandan genocide.

    • Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda
      This electronic book provides comprehensive information on the events of the Rwandan Genocide, including historical events that led to the conflict, propaganda during the war, individual massacres, and international response.

    • Rohde to Srebrenica
      This site chronicles the work of US reporter David Rohde to uncover proof of the mass killings in Bosnia.

    • Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave
      The companion site to the PBS video "Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave" offers a timeline of events, narratives, and eyewitness accounts of the Bosnian genocide.

    • Yale East Timor Project
      This site provides reports, images, and journal articles pertaining to the genocide and Indonesian occupation in East Timor.


    The Holocaust


    World War I


    World War II
    • Decoding Nazi Secrets
      The companion Web site to “Decoding Nazi Secrets,” a PBS special program, offers interactive pages on ciphers and codebreaking.

    • German Documents
      This site offers a collection of primary source documents, including transcripts of speeches, writings by various German political and military figures, and propaganda materials, from the Kaiserreich (1871-1918) and National Socialist Era (1933-1945).

    • German Propaganda Archive
      This site compiles Nazi and East German propaganda materials, including speeches, posters, essays, and cartoons.

    • The History Place: The Rise of Adolf Hitler
      The site hosts a variety of biographical entries, including his early life, the formation of the Nazi Party, and Hitler’s defeat.

    • Italian Life Under Fascism
      This site presents selected Fascist documents from the special collections of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The documents illustrate various aspects of Italian life during the Fascist era, including education, youth organizations, opposition to Fascism, women, and culture.

    • World War II Resources


    Other
    • League of Nations Photo Archive
      This site offers a collection of photographs from the original archives and historical collections of the League of Nations. Also included is a digitized version of The League of Nations: A Pictorial Survey, which outlines the various sections, members, and activities of the League of Nations.

    • Making the History of 1989: The Fall of Communism in Eastern
      Europe
      This site presents primary source documents from and interviews with scholars of East European studies on the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.

    • The Marxists Internet Archive
      This site offers an encyclopedia of Marxism, information on and works of Marxist writers, and a large variety of eBooks, audiobooks, and other documents on Marxism.
      This exhibit, coordinated by the Library of Congress in collaboration with the Russian Archival

    • Tags: 
    Orenic
    20th century
    world
    history

    Western Civilization Since 1600

    Welcome to the Western Civilization from 1600 Research Guide

    Jean-François_Millet_-_Gleaners_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

    Click on a tab below to find books, articles, primary sources and websites for use in the study of Western Civilization since 1600.

    If you need additional help, please contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk. You can also get help from our online reference service: Ask A Librarian.

     

    1. Books
    2. Databases
    3. Primary Sources / Websites

    Finding Books

    Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. Click on the "keyword" tab to search using multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language. You'll need a current library card to check out books.

    I-Share

    I-Share allows COD students to borrow books from over 80 Illinois academic libraries. You must have a current COD library card, and create an account to request books from an I-Share library.
    E-book Collections
    Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

    • ebrary

      • Collection contains many History-related books. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

    • EBSCO e-book collection

      • Collection includes some books on History. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

    • Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

      • This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

    Reference Works

    Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on a topic topics in History.

    Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
    Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

    Encyclopedias
    Biographies
    Chronologies

    Databases

    The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

    What are databases?

    Databases are organized collections of information that you can search on a variety of fields, like title and author's name. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. Even your contacts list in your phone is a type of mini database. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our stuff is free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: http://www.codlrc.org/databases

     

    Databases - Best Bets

    • Academic Search Complete

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Academic OneFile

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Artstor
      The Artstor Digital Library provides over 1.6 million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences with an accessible suite of software tools for teaching and research.

    • History Study Center
      Primary and secondary history collections providing access to rare British, American and world history sources, full text articles and reference materials. Includes multimedia sources.

    • JSTOR

      • Excellent source for credible scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago.

    Individual Journal Title List

    Click here to view a list of History-related journals

    Primary Sources

    There are several areas where you can find primary source documents. Click on a link below to view lists of resources in each of these areas.


    General Collection
    To locate sources in the General Collection:
    • Do an author search
      Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the war in Roman times, look up "Caesar, Julius" as an author and find his The Gallic War.

    • Do a title search
      Some primary sources have no known authors. For example, a known primary source for Egyptian religious rites is the Book of the Dead also known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Doing a title search shows the Library owns several copies.

    • Do a subject search
      Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up Middle Ages and scan the results for those subheadings. Sometimes primary sources are found in broad collections with or without the subheadings above. Look up a broader heading and limit the search results to "source material" to find some useful collections.


    Library Databases
    • Annals of American History : Writings and primary sources documents from more than 1,500 authors who made and analyzed American history through speeches, writings, memoirs, poems, and interviews.
    • History Study Center : Primary and secondary history collections providing access to British, American and world history sources, full text articles, maps, and reference materials among other types of resources.
    • Military and Government Collection : Although primarily concerned with U.S.history there are references to history and politics of other countries.


    Websites
    Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

    You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

    The following websites have been evaluated for their credibility.


    17th/18th Century
    • DISC Archive: French Old Regime Bureaucrats: Intendants de Province, 1661-1790
      This site provides the names and periods of incumbancy for royal civil servants of French provinces from 1661 to 1790.

    • Eighteenth-Century Studies
      The site provides a comprehensive list of internet resources for novels, plays, memoirs, treatises, and poems from the 18th century and modern literary criticisms of these texts.

    • Exploring the French Revolution
      The site offers essays, images, documents, songs, and maps pertaining to the French Revolution. Also included is a timeline of events in the French Revolution.

    • The Napoleon Series
      This site offers a discussion forum, articles, maps, illustrations and photographs, reviews, and charts pertaining to Napoleonic history. The War of 1812 Magazine is also published on this site.

    • PBS: Napoleon
      This site was created to accompany a series on Napoleon broadcasted by PBS. The site includes a timeline and history of Napoleon Bonaparte’s life, video clips and interactive features, and classroom materials for teachers.


    19th Century
    • Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions
      An online encyclopedia of key persons, events, and places in the European Revolutions of 1848.

    • The Siege and Commune of Paris
      This site is a searchable database of photographs, images, newspapers, books, and pamphlets produced during the Siege and Commune of Paris (1870 - 1871).

    • The Victorian Web
      Primary and secondary sources on all areas of study in Victorian Britain, including economics, art and architecture, society, science and technology, literature, and politics.

    • The British Library: Victorians
      Posters, pamphlets, political documents, illustrations and diaries and essays related to 19th century England.


    20th Century
    • 1914-18 War - Art of the First World War
      This site hosts a collection of digitized paintings of and created during World War I. The collection is organized into major themes (e.g. “the battlefield,” “suffering”), each of which is accompanied by an explanation of the theme and its relevance to the war.

    • Decoding Nazi Secrets
      The companion Web site to “Decoding Nazi Secrets,” a PBS special program, offers interactive pages on ciphers and codebreaking.

    • First World War.com - A Multimedia History of World War One
      This site compiles primary and secondary source documents on World War I. Sources include encyclopedias, timelines, maps, propaganda posters, memoirs and diaries, poetry and prose, and audiovisual materials.

    • First World War Poetry Digital Archive
      The University of Oxford hosts this digital archive of primary source documents from World War I, including poems, letters, diaries, films, audio recordings, and images.

    • German Documents
      This site offers a collection of primary source documents, including transcripts of speeches, writings by various German political and military figures, and propaganda materials, from the Kaiserreich (1871-1918) and National Socialist Era (1933-1945).

    • German Propaganda Archive
      This site compiles Nazi and East German propaganda materials, including speeches, posters, essays, and cartoons.

    • The History Place: The Rise of Adolf
      Hitler
      The site hosts a variety of biographical entries, including his early life, the formation of the Nazi Party, and Hitler’s defeat.

    • Italian Life Under Fascism
      This site presents selected Fascist documents from the special collections of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The documents illustrate various aspects of Italian life during the Fascist era, including education, youth organizations, opposition to Fascism, women, and culture.

    • League of Nations Photo Archive
      This site offers a collection of photographs from the original archives and historical collections of the League of Nations. Also included is a digitized version of The League of Nations: A Pictorial Survey, which outlines the various sections, members, and activities of the League of Nations.

    • Learning Curve: The Great
      War
      This site compiles original papers, letters, photos, maps, and other documents pertaining to World War I from the National Archives of the United Kingdom.

    • Making the History of 1989: The Fall of Communism in Eastern
      Europe
      This site presents primary source documents from and interviews with scholars of East European studies on the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.

    • The Marxists Internet Archive
      This site offers an encyclopedia of Marxism, information on and works of Marxist writers, and a large variety of eBooks, audiobooks, and other documents on Marxism.

    • The National Archives Learning Curve: Cold War (
      This site is divided into six sections on the start of the cold war, the wartime Alliance, causes of the Cold War, how the Cold War “worked,” the nuclear game, and Vietnam as a possible turning point. Each section includes a timeline, glossary, student worksheets, and explanatory notes.

    • The National Archives Learning Curve: Home Front
      This site offers online activities, timelines, videos, and classroom worksheets on preparations for war, evacuations, bombings, everyday life, women, and spies in Great Britain during World War I.

    • Revelations from the Russian Archives
      This exhibit, coordinated by the Library of Congress in collaboration with the Russian Archival Committee, presents internal government documents from the Soviet Era (1917-1991).

    Tags: 
    Orenic
    western civilization

    Western Civilization Until 1600

    Welcome to the Western Civilization until 1600 Research Guide

    Triumph of Catholic doctrine.jpg

    Click on a tab below to find books, articles, primary sources and websites for use in the study of Western Civilization until 1600.

    If you need additional help, please contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk. You can also get help from our online reference service: Ask A Librarian.

     

    1. Books
    2. Databases
    3. Primary Sources / Websites

    Finding Books

    Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. Click on the "keyword" tab to search using multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language. You'll need a current library card to check out books.

    I-Share

    I-Share allows COD students to borrow books from over 80 Illinois academic libraries. You must have a current COD library card, and create an account to request books from an I-Share library.

    E-book Collections

    Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

    • ebrary

      • Collection contains many History-related books. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

    • EBSCO e-book collection

      • Collection includes some books on History. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

    • Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

      • This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

    Reference Works

    Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on a topic topics in History.

    Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
    Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

    Encyclopedias
    General encyclopedias - online
    • Credo Reference
      A collection of hundreds of reference sources covering many subject areas
    • Encyclopedia Britannica
      The online version of the classic Encyclopedia Britannica that also includes web links, select articles and access to Webster's Dictionary.
    • Gale Virtual Reference Library
      A collection of hundreds of reference sources covering many subject areas
    Subject specific encyclopedias
    Biographies
    Chronologies

    Databases

    The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

    What are databases?

    Databases are organized collections of information that you can search on a variety of fields, like title and author's name. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. Even your contacts list in your phone is a type of mini database. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our stuff is free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: http://www.codlrc.org/databases

     

    Databases - Best Bets

    • Academic Search Complete

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Academic OneFile

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Artstor
      The Artstor Digital Library provides over 1.6 million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences with an accessible suite of software tools for teaching and research.

    • History Study Center
      Primary and secondary history collections providing access to rare British, American and world history sources, full text articles and reference materials. Includes multimedia sources.

    • JSTOR

      • Excellent source for credible scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago.

    Individual Journal Title List

    Click here to view a list of History-related journals

    Primary Sources

    There are several areas where you can find primary source documents. Click on a link below to view lists of resources in each of these areas.


    General Collection
    To locate sources in the General Collection:
    • Do an author search
      Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the war in Roman times, look up "Caesar, Julius" as an author and find his The Gallic War.

    • Do a title search
      Some primary sources have no known authors. For example, a known primary source for Egyptian religious rites is the Book of the Dead also known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Doing a title search shows the Library owns several copies.

    • Do a subject search
      Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up Middle Ages and scan the results for those subheadings. Sometimes primary sources are found in broad collections with or without the subheadings above. Look up a broader heading and limit the search results to "source material" to find some useful collections.


    Library Databases
    • Academic Search Complete To locate primary sources scroll down to "Publication Type" and select Primary Source Document.
    • History Study Center : Primary and secondary history collections providing access to British, American and world history sources, full text articles, maps, and reference materials among other types of resources.


    Websites
    Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

    You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

    The following websites have been evaluated for their credibility.

    Ancient Civilizations


    Near East
  • Ancient Scripts
    This site provides an overview of writing systems around the world from prehistoric times through today.

  • Catalogue of Sumerian Literary Texts
    This site displays works that are included in the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature which is a full catalog of Sumerian literacy compositions. Hymns, cult songs, proverbs, poetry, and letters are among the works included. The site also provides the option to translate the works in English.

  • The Code of Hammurabi
    This site translates The Code of Hammurabi in English and provides definitions of terminology used throughout the code.

  • Ancient Near East Archives
    ETNA (Electronic Texts and Ancient Near Eastern Archives) is a collaborative project that provides digital copies of works deemed important for research and teaching about ancient Near Eastern studies.


    Egypt
  • Akhet - The Horizon to Ancient Egypt
    This site provides an abundance of information about the culture of ancient Egypt including Pharaohs, mythology, sculptures, tombs, and temples.

  • Duke University Papyrus Archive
    Sponsored by Duke University, this site provides access to images and information about papyri from ancient Egypt.

  • The Egyptian Book of the Dead
    Full-text, electronic access to The Book of the Dead, The Papyrus of Ani.

  • The Global Egyptian Museum
    This virtual collection contains images and descriptions of over 2 million objects from ancient Egypt that are physically housed in 69 countries all over the world. Objects can be searched for by period, material, site, or museum. The site also has a glossary that defines over 400 Egyptian terms and themes.

  • The Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology
    This site provides images and descriptions of ancient sites in Egypt. Sites can be searched by name of by clicking on a map.

  • Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt
    This site provides images and descriptions of the materials that were shown at the Quest of Immortality: Treasure of Ancient Egypt exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. The site also has a detailed description of the tomb of Thutmose III.

  • Reeder's Egypt Page
    This site provides basic information about religion, art, archaeology, and history of Egypt.

  • Secrets of the Pharaohs
    Sponsored by PBS, this site provides an array of information about the Pharaohs of Egypt including a timeline, maps of tombs, and a step-by-step guide to making a mummy.

  • Theban Mapping Project
    This site provides a database of all the archeological findings in Thebes. Items can be searched in a variety of ways including decoration, date, condition, or image. An interactive map also offers detailed information about the findings in each location.

  • Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation
    This site provides information about the finding and excavation of Tutankhamun.


    Greece
  • The Ancient City of Athens
    The Ancient City of Athens
    This site provides brief descriptions and images of the remains of ancient Athens.

  • Diotima Women & Gender in the Ancient World
    This site provides resources about ancient Latin texts by and about women. The site has links to resources including some full-text articles as well as images.

  • PBS - The Greeks
    Sponsored by PBS, this site provides information about the civilization of ancient Greece including a timeline, descriptions of major events, and information about important political figures.

  • Metis
    Panoramic views of historical archaeological sites in ancient Greece.

  • Perseus Project
    This site is a collection of information and resources about literature, history, and culture in the Greco-Roman World

  • The Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean
    This site provides information and images about the prehistoric archaeology in Aegean. The site also has a useful glossary of terms.

  • University of Chicago Excavations at Isthmia
    This site provides information about the excavation of Isthmia and has links to other useful resources.


    Rome
  • Ancient Rome
    This site has an abundance of information about the history of Rome including art, daily life, jobs, clothing, and mythology. Some maps and pictures are also available.

  • Capitolium.org - Imperial Fora Official Website - Rome, Italy
    This site has information about the Imperial Fora in Rome including detailed descriptions of the history of Rome and the various archeological sites (Forum of Augustus, Forum of Caesar, Forma of Nerva, etc.). A detailed map and virtual tour are also included as well as a quiz to help test your knowledge.

  • The Christian Catacombs of Rome
    This site provides a brief overview of information about the catacombs of Saint Callixtus in Rome. It also has information about ancient roman symbols.

  • Corinth Computer Project - Greek and Roman Corinth
    This site provides in-depth information about the ancient city and landscape of Corinth. The site also provides information about how the excavation was conducted. A helpful reference list of Roman city planning and survey terms are also included.

  • Diotima Women & Gender in the Ancient World
    This site provides resources about ancient Latin texts by and about women. The site has links to resources including some full-text articles as well as images.

  • Hechingen-Stein. A Villa Rustica from Roman Time
    This site provides information about an ancient Roman villa in Heching-Stein Germany. Information about the settlement and retreat of the ancient villa is provided as well as information about the discovery and excavation of the site. A virtual tour and pictures of a 3-D model are also included.

  • LacusCurtius: Into the Roman World
    This site provides an array of information including annotated pictures of Roman monuments as well as information about ancient works and authors. A list of useful resources for further research is also included.

  • Ostia - Harbour of Ancient Rome
    This site has an abundance of information about the ancient harbour Ostia including pictures, video tours, information about ancient works and authors, and lists of recent publications for further research.

  • Perseus Project
    This site provides an abundance of information about the Greco-Roman world. Some full-text articles are available.

  • Pompeii Forum Project
    This website contains information about the history of Pompeii with a focus on the city’s architecture.

  • The Roman Empire in the First Century
    Sponsored by PBS, this site provides basic information about the Roman Empire including religion, daily life, and clothing.

  • VRoma
    This website focuses on ancient Rome and the Latin language. It has lists of resources as well as images, but the most useful feature is a virtual tour of ancient Rome.

    Europe
  • The Cave of Lascaux
    Although much of the text on this website is in French, it has amazing videos and images from inside the Cave of Lascaux.

  • The Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc
    This site provides information about the discovery, exploration, and research significance of the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc.


    All Regions
  • Internet Ancient History Sourcebook
    This site compiles e-resources about a variety of subject areas in ancient history including African history, Eastern Asia history, Jewish history, and Women’s history.

  • Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean World
    Focusing on materials published from 1850 through 1950, this site provides online access to deteriorated resources at the University of Chicago about the art, archeology, and history of ancient near East Asia and the Mediterranean World.

  • Art History - Resources on the Web
    This website provides a wealth of information about art history. The site covers an abundance of areas including Ancient Greek Art, Byzantine Art, Early Christian Art, and 20th Century Art. A variety of information is available including pictures, brief background information on topics, maps, and timelines.

  • Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World
    The Barrington Atlas is a helpful print resource that contains maps from ancient Greek and Rome. This site compliments the atlas by discussing the project, providing access to some of the maps, and supplying a list of useful resources.

  • Electronic Resources for Classicists
    This site compiles resources for those studying the ancient classics. Links as well as a brief explanation about each resource are included. The site provides a variety of materials including electronic journals, databases, images, as well as professional organizations. The site is well organized and is easy to navigate.

  • The Internet Classics Archive
    This site provides access to classical works by authors such as Aristotle, Julius Caesar, and Homer. It focuses on works by Greco-Roman authors but a few additional authors from other ancient cultures are available. Lists of useful print resources for further research are also provided.

  • ETANA - Electronic Tools and Ancient Near East Archives
    This site compiles resources about Ancient Near Eastern Studies. A variety of subject areas are covered including the Bible, Judaism, maps, ancient history, and archeology.

  • Oriental Institute
    Sponsored by the University of Chicago, the Oriental Institute is a museum and research center that focuses on the Ancient Near East. The majority of resources can be accessed by visiting the institute, but information about exhibits and symposiums as well as some full-text articles, dissertations, and images are available online.

  • Voice of the Shuttle -Archaeology
    This site compiles resources about archaeology including links to websites, projects, museums, as well as journals.

  • Voice of the Shuttle - Classical Studies
    This site compiles resources about Classical studies including history and culture, language, literature, and philosophy.

    Medieval Civilization

  • The Aberdeen Bestiary Project
    This site hosts a digitized version of a 12th century English manuscript, which contained descriptions of both real and imaginary creatures, paired with illustrations. Each photographed page of the manuscript is accompanied by commentaries and a transcription and a translation of the original Latin text.

  • Anthology of Middle English Literature (1350-1485)
    This site offers a collection of biographies of, quotes from, essays on, and works of noted English authors from the year 1350 to 1485.

  • The Camelot Project
    Sponsored by the University of Rochester, the website compiles Arthurian texts and images and information on characters, symbols/motifs, places, and creatures from the legends of King Arthur.

  • Feminae, Medieval Women and Gender Index
    The site presents journal articles, essays, art, and book reviews of works on women, sexuality, and gender in medieval civilization.

  • Geoffrey Chaucer
    Part of the Luminarium anthology, this page offers a biography, articles, and essays on Chaucer, as well as digitized versions of his works accompanied by study guides.

  • Guide to Early Church Documents
    This site compiles historical documents pertaining to the early Christian church, including canons and writings of the Apostolic Fathers.

  • History of the Crusades
    This section of the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections offers a digitized version of a six volume work on events of the crusades, culture and society during the crusades, and the ultimate impact of the crusades in Europe and the Near East.

  • Internet Medieval Sourcebook
    Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies has created a comprehensive collection of primary and secondary sources pertaining to the Middle Ages, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the late 15th century.

  • The Labyrinth, Resources for Medieval Studies
    This site provides a comprehensive list of worldwide sources on all things medieval, including art and architecture, culture, religion, and society.

  • Mapping Margery Kempe
    This site provides a context for and research/teaching guide to the autobiography of Marjory Kempe, a self-named spiritual woman and mystic in 15th century England. The site includes a digitized version of her autobiography and images and texts pertaining to East Anglian churches and saints and life, politics, and commerce in her hometown of Bishop’s Lynn.

  • Medieval Architecture in France
    This site provides images of medieval architecture in France and maps of France from the 5th through 16th centuries.

  • Medieval Page
    This site is provides a comprehensive list of internet sources on the Middle Ages. Sources provided include professional association pages, blogs, and online journals.

  • The Middle Ages - Annenberg Learner
    The site presents information on the Middle Ages, including feudal and town life, religion, homes, clothing, medicine, and arts.

  • The Online Medieval and Classical Library
    This site provides a searchable collection of medieval and classical literature, from anonymous works to works by such well known authors as Geoffrey Chaucer.

  • ORB--Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
    This site hosts a collection of primary and secondary sources in medieval studies, including electronic textbooks, teaching guides, essays, bibliographies, and images.

  • Penn Special Collections-Schoenberg Exhibit
    This exhibit of the University of Pennsylvania libraries offers digitized versions of illustrated religious, academic, and lay manuscripts from the 11th to the 18th centuries.

  • Teams Middle English Texts
    The site provides student editions of Middle English poetry and prose. Each text is accompanied by an introduction which offers a context for and assessment of the document.


    Renaissance

  • The Cely Papers
    This site presents correspondence and documents from the Cely family, English wool merchants in the late 15th century.

  • Columbus and the Age of Discovery
    This site offers an index of major works pertaining to Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery (mid-to-late 15th century).

  • DISC Archive - Catasto Study, 15th Century Italy
    The site compiles data and documentation from the Census and Property Survey for Florentine Domains and the City of Verona in Fifteenth Century Italy, otherwise known as the Catasto Study.

  • Renaissance - Annenberg Learner
    The site presents information on the Renaissance, including exploration and trade, printing and bookmaking, and architecture.

  • The Galileo Project
    The site provides a biography of Galileo and further texts and images pertaining to his life and work.

  • Latitude - The Art and Science of Fifteenth-Century Navigation
    The site offers information on ships, sailing, ocean currents and weather, and ocean navigation in the 15th and 16th centuries.

  • Medici Archive Project
    The site hosts a collection of letters, biographies, and other documents pertaining to the Medici family, Grand Dukes and Duchesses of Tuscany from 1537 to 1743.

  • Online Catasto of 1427
    The site is a searchable database of tax information for from Catasto Study, a census survey of Florence, Tuscany in 1427-1429.

  • Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe
    This site compiles images, narratives, government and medical documents, and religious writings on the plagues in Europe between 1348 and 1530.

  • Rome Reborn - The Vatican Library & Renaissance Culture
    This exhibition by the Library of Congress offers comprehensive information, images, and documents covering all aspects of the Renaissance in Europe, the Islamic world, and China. Major Renaissance topics covered include archaeology, humanism, mathematics, music, medicine, and nature.

    • Tags: 
    Orenic
    western civilization

    Labor History

    1. Books
    2. Databases
    3. Primary Sources / Websites

    Finding Books

    Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. Click on the "keyword" tab to search using multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language. You'll need a current library card to check out books.

    E-book Collections
    Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

    • ebrary

      • Collection contains many History-related books. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

    • EBSCO e-book collection

      • Collection includes some books on History. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

    • Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

      • This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

    Reference Works

    Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on a topic topics in History.

    Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
    Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

    Encyclopedias
    Biographies
    Chronologies

    Databases

    The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

    Access the article databases listed below.

    Databases - Best Bets

    • Academic Search Complete

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Academic OneFile

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • History Study Center
      Primary and secondary history collections providing access to rare British, American and world history sources, full text articles and reference materials. Includes multimedia sources.

    • JSTOR

      • Excellent source for credible scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago.

    Individual Journal Title List

    Click here to view a list of History-related journals

    Primary Sources

    There are several areas where you can find primary source documents. Click on a link below to view lists of resources in each of these areas.


    Reference Collection


    General Collection
    To locate sources in the General Collection:
    • Do an author search
      Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the war in Roman times, look up "Caesar, Julius" as an author and find his The Gallic War.

    • Do a title search
      Some primary sources have no known authors. For example, a known primary source for Egyptian religious rites is the Book of the Dead also known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Doing a title search shows the Library owns several copies.

    • Do a subject search
      Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up Middle Ages and scan the results for those subheadings. Sometimes primary sources are found in broad collections with or without the subheadings above. Look up a broader heading and limit the search results to "source material" to find some useful collections.


    Library Databases
    • Annals of American History : Writings and primary sources documents from more than 1,500 authors who made and analyzed American history through speeches, writings, memoirs, poems, and interviews.
    • History Study Center : Primary and secondary history collections providing access to British, American and world history sources, full text articles, maps, and reference materials among other types of resources.
    • Military and Government Collection : Although primarily concerned with U.S.history there are references to history and politics of other countries.


    Websites
    Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

    You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

    The following websites have been evaluated for their credibility.

    Tags: 
    Orenic
    history
    labor

    History of the United States Since 1945

    Welcome to the History of the United States since 1945 Research Guide

    duck and cover.jpg

    Click on a tab below to find books, articles, primary sources and websites for use in the study of history.

    If you need additional help, please contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk. You can also get help from our online reference service: Ask A Librarian.

     

    1. Books
    2. Databases
    3. Primary Sources / Websites

    Finding Books

    Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. Click on the "keyword" tab to search using multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language. You'll need a current library card to check out books.

    I-Share

    I-Share allows COD students to borrow books from over 80 Illinois academic libraries. You must have a current COD library card, and create an account to request books from an I-Share library.

    E-book Collections
    Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

    • ebrary

      • Collection contains many History-related books. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

    • EBSCO e-book collection

      • Collection includes some books on History. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

    • Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

      • This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

    Reference Works

    Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on topics in History.

    Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
    Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

    Encyclopedias
    Biographies
    Chronologies

    Databases

    The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

    What are databases?

    Databases are organized collections of information that you can search on a variety of fields, like title and author's name. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. Even your contacts list in your phone is a type of mini database. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our stuff is free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: http://www.codlrc.org/databases

     

    Databases - Best Bets

    • Academic Search Complete

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Academic OneFile

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • History Study Center
      Primary and secondary history collections providing access to rare British, American and world history sources, full text articles and reference materials. Includes multimedia sources.

    • JSTOR

      • Excellent source for credible scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago.

    • Project MUSE

      • Project MUSE offers full-text current and archival articles from 500+ scholarly journals from major university presses covering literature and criticism, history, performing arts, cultural studies, education, philosophy, political science, gender studies, and more. Updated continually.

    Individual Journal Title List

    Click here to view a list of History-related journals

    Primary Sources

    There are several areas where you can find primary source documents. Click on a link below to view lists of resources in each of these areas.


    Reference Collection


    General Collection
    To locate sources in the General Collection:
    • Do an author search
      Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the war in Roman times, look up "Caesar, Julius" as an author and find his The Gallic War.

    • Do a title search
      Some primary sources have no known authors. For example, a known primary source for Egyptian religious rites is the Book of the Dead also known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Doing a title search shows the Library owns several copies.

    • Do a subject search
      Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up Middle Ages and scan the results for those subheadings. Sometimes primary sources are found in broad collections with or without the subheadings above. Look up a broader heading and limit the search results to "source material" to find some useful collections.


    Library Databases
    • Annals of American History : Writings and primary sources documents from more than 1,500 authors who made and analyzed American history through speeches, writings, memoirs, poems, and interviews.
    • Black Thought and Culture
      Black Thought and Culture contains 1,297 sources with 1,098 authors, covering the non-fiction published works of leading African Americans. Particular care has been taken to index this material so that it can be searched more thoroughly than ever before. Where possible the complete published non-fiction works are included, as well as interviews, journal articles, speeches, essays, pamplets, letters and other fugitive material

    • CQ Historic Documents
      Published annually since 1972, the Historic Documents Series now contains 32 volumes of primary sources. Each volume includes approximately one hundred documents covering the most significant events of the year. These documents range from presidential speeches, international agreements, and Supreme Court decisions to U.S. governmental reports, scientific findings, and cultural discussions.

    • Discovering Collection : Includes overview essays, critical analysis, biographies, timelines and multimedia elements. In general these are not considered to be scholarly sources, except for the primary source material.
    • History Study Center : Primary and secondary history collections providing access to British, American and world history sources, full text articles, maps, and reference materials among other types of resources.
    • Military and Government Collection : Although primarily concerned with U.S.history there are references to history and politics of other countries.
    • NBC Learn
      A collection of videos, historic newsreels, primary source documents, photographs from the NBC News archive. Browse by collection on left side of screen, note "African American Studies" collection.


    Websites
    Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

    You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

    The following websites have been evaluated for their credibility.

    Civil Rights
    • African American Odyssey
      Site includes the Frederick Douglass Papers, the African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909 and Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project.

    • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
      This site provides videos, documents, and interactive features pertaining to the US civil rights movement and a searchable database of oral histories, manuscripts, and multimedia.

    • Brown v. Board of Education: Digital Archive
      The site presents documents and images that detail the events of the historical Brown v.s Board of Education case and its impact up to the present day. Four main areas of focus are Supreme Court cases, busing and school integration in northern urban areas, school integration in Ann Arbor public schools, and resegregation trends in United States schools.

    • The Citenzens' Council
      Newspaper published between 1955 and 1961 that expresses antiiintegration sentiments.

    • Civil Rights Digital Library
      This site compiles films, articles, multimedia, primary source documents on the civil rights movement in the United States.

    • Civil Rights Documentation Project
      This site compiles civil rights oral history interviews, largely focusing on events in Mississippi between 1954 and 1972.

    • Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive
      This site presents digitized oral history transcripts, letters, manuscripts, photographs, and diaries of freedom school teachers from the civil rights movement in Mississippi.

    • Civil Rights Oral History Collection - Washington State University
      This site hosts recordings of oral history interviews with five individuals, who recount their experiences in Spokane, Washington during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

    • Greensboro Sit-Ins: Launch of a Civil Rights Movement
      This site offers photos, audio recordings, and newspaper articles on events, key figures, and impact of the Greensboro sit-ins in 1960.

    • I was a Negro in the South for 30 Days-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
      This site provides the full text of a newspaper series in which a white journalist recounts his story of posing as a black man in the south in 1948.

    • Malcolm X, a Research Site
      This biographical site provides comprehensive information on Malcolm X’s life and work. The site additionally includes photographs and audio recordings of his speeches.

    • Malcolm X Project at Columbia University
      This site provides biographical information on Malcolm X, including interviews, digitized FBI files, audio or video recordings of speeches given by Malcolm X.

    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
      Scholarly works on Martin Luther King, Jr and a vast collection of King's correspondence, sermons, publications, speeches and unpublished manuscripts.

    • Mississippi Freedom Summer Project 1964 Digital Collection
      This digital collection by the Miami University Libraries contains various primary sources (letters, bulletins, newspaper articles, etc) and photographs pertaining to Freedom Summer, a black voter registration drive in Mississippi.

    • United States Department of Justice Investigation of Recent Allegations Regarding the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
      In 1998 the US Department of Justice began an investigation into recent allegations regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The US Department of Justice site offers a summary of the investigative procedure, team, and findings and analyses of statements and evidence in the case.

    • Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement
      This site offers photographs and descriptions of the importance of over 40 historic landmarks from the civil rights movement.

    • Rosa Parks Papers
      "The papers of Rosa Parks (1913-2005) span the years 1866-2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1955 to 2000. The collection, which contains approximately 7,500 items in the Manuscript Division, as well as 2,500 photographs in the Prints and Photographs Division, documents many aspects of Parks's private life and public activism on behalf of civil rights for African Americans. The collection is on loan to the Library for ten years through the generosity of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The Library received the materials in late 2014, formally opened them to researchers in the Library’s reading rooms in February 2015, and now has digitized them for optimal access by the public."

    Cold War
    • Atomic Bomb Research Guide
      Find links to background information, primary and secondary sources and pro and con discussions for using atomic bombs.

    • The Alger Hiss Story
      This site provides court and government documents, scholarly articles, archival documents on the trial of Alger Hiss, who was accused of espionage in 1948. The site also provides biographical information on Alger Hiss.

    • The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II A Collection of Primary Sources
      Primary source documents relating to use of the Atomic Bomb, including top secret memos between scientist, military personnel and politicians. personal diaries telegrams and other documents.

    • Cold War International History Project
      This site compiles archival government documents from around the world on Cold War history, inter-Korean relations, modern Korean history, and nuclear history.

    • J. William Fulbright: Papers, 1942-1990
      This site offers a collection of missives, legislation, speeches, and other documents from Fulbright’s time as a Congressman and Senator.

    • Parallel History Project on Cooperative Security (PHP)
      This site provides a collection of formerly-secret government documents, online documentaries, and publications pertaining to contemporary international history, with a focus on current security issues.

    • American Experience: Race for the Super Bomb
      This page provides supporting materials for the PBS film “Race for the Super Bomb.” It host primary and secondary sources documents, including interviews transcripts, biographies, and maps, pertaining to the nuclear arms race during the Cold War (1945-1960).

    • PBS: Red Files
      This page provides supporting materials for a PBS film series which covered Soviet efforts in the space race, Soviet participation in the 1952 Olympics, KGB activities during the Cold War, and Soviet propaganda during the Cold War. The site provides relevant biographies, interview transcripts, maps, archival images, timelines, and further recommended readings.

    Cuban Missile Crisis

    Fifties and Sixties
    • The Alger Hiss Story
      This site provides court and government documents, scholarly articles, archival documents on the trial of Alger Hiss, who was accused of espionage in 1948. The site also provides biographical information on Alger Hiss.

    • Bay of Pigs: 40 Year After
      This page presents the National Security Archive’s collection of declassified Cuban government documents pertaining to the Bay of Pigs. Documents cover such topics as counterrevolutionary activities, preparations for the invasion, events and results of the battle, and military prisoners.

    • The ULTRASENSITIVE Bay of Pigs
      This National Security Archive page present declassified sections of the Taylor Commission’s report on its investigation of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion.

    • Bracero History Archive
      This archival collection provide oral histories and other archival materials relating to the Bracero Program (1942-1964), a U.S. contract labor program in which millions of Mexicans came to the United States as guest agricultural workers.

    • The British Invasion
      This site provides information on the Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Kinks, four of the bands from the “second British Invasion” of the 1960s. The site includes group biographies, major musical influences, images, and chronologies of music and movies produced for each group.

    • Castro Speech Database
      The Latin American Network Information Center provides this collection of full-text translations of speeches, interviews, and press conferences by Fidel Castro, dating from 1959 to 1996.

    • CIA-EDRC - Popular Documents Collection Bay of Pigs Reports
      This page by the library of the Central Intelligence Agency presents declassified government documents on the Bay of Pigs in 1961. Digitized documents include the CIA Inspector General’s report on the failed invasion of Cuba and the Directorate of Plans’ commentary on that report, a four volume set on the CIA history of the Bay of Pigs operation, National Security Council briefings, and Spanish-language documents.

    • Documents from the Women's Liberation Movement
      This site hosts an archival collection of documents, including theoretical writings, plays, and meeting minutes, pertaining to the Women’s Liberation Movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

    • Free Speech Movement Student Protest - U.C. Berkeley, 1964-65
      This digital archive offers text documents, oral histories, videos, chronologies, and other information on the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley.

    • Psychedelic Sixties
      The web version of the “Psychedelic ‘60s” exhibit at the University of Virginia Library presents photographs, posters, memorabilia, and other archival materials pertaining to the 1960s in the United States. The exhibit includes information on 19th and 20th century influences, key figures, and important events/movements.

    • The Sixties Project
      This site provides online access to issues of the Viet Nam Generation Journal, personal narratives, and an archive of Sixties and Vietnam war poetry.

    • The Rosenberg Trial
      This site presents documents and images from the Rosenberg Trial of 1951, a chronology and summary of key events in the trial, and biographies of the trial participants.

    Korean War
    • The Korean War and its Origins 1945-1953
      This site hosts a collection of primary source documents, including written correspondence between government and military officials, reports, photographs, and recordings of addresses by and discussions with Harry S. Truman.

    • Korean War Project
      This site offers documents, message boards, and stories pertaining to the Korean War. Digitized books, military maps, and marine corps and infantry records are located on the “Digital Initiative” and “Map Library” pages.

    • Korean War : People and Events - PBS American Experience
      This page of the supplemental site to the PBS film “Race for the Superbomb” offers a summary of the Korean War as it related to the nuclear arms race.

    • Korean War Records - National Archives
      The US National Archives provides a searchable database of casualties, missing in actions, and prisoners of war from the era of the Korean War.

    • Remembering the Korean War - U.S. Department of Defense
      This site by the US Department of Defense provides oral histories, historic films, photo essays, and links to other useful resources pertaining to the Korean War.

    Vietnam War

    Watergate
    • The Nixon Tapes and Transcripts
      This Web site presents audio and transcripts of the tapes recorded by President Richard Nixon between 1971 and 1973. These recordings of phone calls and meetings played a key role in the resignation of Nixon in 1974.

    • The Nixon Tapes Secret Recordings from the Nixon White House
      This page of the National Security Archive’s “Electronic Briefing Book” hosts audio and transcripts of the Nixon tapes and an article discussing the declassified tapes.

    • The Pentagon Papers Case
      This National Security Archive “Electronic Briefing Book” provides documentation from the Pentagon Papers Supreme Court case, including commentary for each document and audio and transcripts of relevant excerpts from the Nixon tapes, Supreme Court briefs, and the oral arguments given by the Times and Washington Post attorneys.

    • Watergate at 40 - Washington Post
      This Washington Post page, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Watergate Scandal, presents articles, photograph collections, videos, and a four-part summary of events.

    • Watergate: The Scandal That Brought Down Richard Nixon
      This Washington Post page, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Watergate Scandal, presents articles, photograph collections, videos, and a four-part summary of events.

    • The Woodward and Bernstein Watergate Papers
      This Washington Post page, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Watergate Scandal, presents articles, photograph collections, videos, and a four-part summary of events.
    Tags: 
    Orenic
    U.S. History
    American History

    U.S. History Since 1865

    Welcome to the U.S. History Since 1865 Research Guide

    Child_Labor_in_Georgia,_United_States_1909b.jpg

    Click on a tab below to find books, articles, primary sources and websites for use in the study of U.S. history.

    If you need additional help, please contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk. You can also get help from our online reference service: Ask A Librarian.

     

    1. Books
    2. Databases
    3. Primary Sources / Websites

    Finding Books

    Use the COD Library's book catalog to find books & videos. Click on the "keyword" tab to search using multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language.

    I-Share

    I-Share allows COD students to borrow books from over 80 Illinois academic libraries. You must have a current COD library card, and create an account to request books from an I-Share library.

    Some suggested searches include searching by country. You can substitute any of the individual states or regions that make up the United States.

    • United States - History - [Time Period]
    • United States - History - [Event], example United States History Civil War
    • United States - Politics and Government - [Time Period]
    • United States - Social Life and Customs - [Time Period]
    • United States - Civilization - [Time Period]
    • United States - Intellectual Life - [Time Period]

    You'll need a current library card to check out books.

    E-book Collections
    Most books in these collections can also be located and accessed by searching in the Library's book catalog.

    • ebrary

      • Collection contains many History-related books. Many e-books can be viewed from your computer or downloaded to your e-book reader. You need to create an account to download e-books to your device.

    • EBSCO e-book collection

      • Collection includes some books on History. NOTE: Books can be viewed by single page on a computer, or, can be downloaded to an e-book reader. You'll be prompted to create an EBSCO account. The loan period for e-books is four hours. Books can be renewed after the initial loan period expires.

    • Humanities (ACLS) E-book Collection

      • This resource includes over 1500 full-text, cross-searchable books in the humanities selected by scholars for their continuing importance for research and teaching. Pages from this collection can be printed and emailed.

    Reference Works

    Online Encyclopedias
    Print Encyclopedias

    Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on a topic topics in History.

    Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
    Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

    Encyclopedias
  • American Reconstruction
    Reference E668 .R53

  • Civil Rights in the United States
    Reference E 184 .A1 C47

  • Dictionary of American History
    Reference E 174 .D52

  • Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History
    Reference E 169.1 .E624 & Online

  • Encyclopedia of American Social History
    Reference E 20 .E6

  • Encyclopedia of the American Civil War
    Reference E 468 .E53 & Online

  • Encyclopedia of the Confederacy
    Reference E 487 .E55

  • Encyclopedia of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
    Reference E 661 .E53

  • Encyclopedia of the Great Depression and the New Deal
    Reference E 806 .C543

  • Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century
    Reference E 169.1 .E626 & Online

  • Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century
    Reference E 740.7 .E53

  • Encyclopedia of War and American Society
    Reference E 181 .E634

  • International Encyclopedia of Women's Suffrage - e-book
  • Oxford Research Encyclopedia Online - American History
  • The United States in the First World War
    Reference D 510 .U65

    Biographies
  • American National Biography - library database
    Note - only one user at a time may user this database, please remember to log out!

  • Dictionary of American Biography
    Reference E 176 .D563

  • Marquis Who Was Who in America 1607-1984 - e-book
    Very extensive coverage, very basic information.

  • National Cyclopedia of American Biography
    Reference E 176 .N28

    Chronologies
  • American Chronicle : Year by Year Through the Twentieth Century
    Reference E 169.1 .G664

  • American Eras - Multi-volume set covering the US through 1899 - e-book
    Reference E 178 .A59

  • Great Events from History, American Series
    Reference E 178 .M22

  • Great Events from History, North American Series
    Reference E 45 .G64

  • Magill's History of North America
    Reference E 18 .M2 1988

    • Databases

    The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

    What are databases?

    Databases are organized collections of information that you can search on a variety of fields, like title and author's name. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. Even your contacts list in your phone is a type of mini database. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our stuff is free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: http://www.codlrc.org/databases/

     

    Databases - Best Bets

    • Academic Search Complete

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • Academic OneFile

      • Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.

    • History Study Center
      Primary and secondary history collections providing access to rare British, American and world history sources, full text articles and reference materials. Includes multimedia sources.

    • JSTOR

      • Excellent source for credible scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Articles in database were published between the early 1700s and between 1-5 years ago.

    • Project MUSE

      • Project MUSE offers full-text current and archival articles from 500+ scholarly journals from major university presses covering literature and criticism, history, performing arts, cultural studies, education, philosophy, political science, gender studies, and more. Updated continually.

    Newspaper Databases

    Individual Journal Title List

    Click here to view a list of History-related journals

    Primary Sources

    There are several areas where you can find primary source documents. Click on a link below to view lists of resources in each of these areas.


    Reference Collection


    General Collection
    To locate sources in the General Collection:
    • Do an author search
      Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the war in Roman times, look up "Caesar, Julius" as an author and find his The Gallic War.

    • Do a title search
      Some primary sources have no known authors. For example, a known primary source for Egyptian religious rites is the Book of the Dead also known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Doing a title search shows the Library owns several copies.

    • Do a subject search
      Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up Middle Ages and scan the results for those subheadings.
      Sometimes primary sources are found in broad collections with or without the subheadings above. Look up a broader heading and limit the search results to "source material" to find some useful collections.


    Library Databases
    • Annals of American History : Writings and primary sources documents from more than 1,500 authors who made and analyzed American history through speeches, writings, memoirs, poems, and interviews.
    • Discovering Collection : Includes overview essays, critical analysis, biographies, timelines and multimedia elements. In general these are not considered to be scholarly sources, except for the primary source material.
    • History Study Center : Primary and secondary history collections providing access to British, American and world history sources, full text articles, maps, and reference materials among other types of resources.
    • Military and Government Collection : Although primarily concerned with U.S.history there are references to history and politics of other countries.


    Websites
    Who can publish on the Internet? Anyone.

    You may find a website by doing a web search or through a recommendation of another student. Before you use a website for your assignment, you should evaluate the webpage for credibility, reliability, authority and purpose. Check out the CRAP Test for more information on evaluating websites.

    The following websites have been evaluated for their credibility.

    Tags: 
    Orenic
    U.S. History
    American History

    Pages

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