Major Guides to Books, Articles, and Other Resources
The Harvard Guide to African-American History . Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, editor-in-chief.. Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 2001. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E185.H326 2001
This is an unique and indispensable source to which many distinguished scholars have contributed. Section I "Historical Research Aids and Materials" contains bibliographic essays on reference works, internet resources, manuscript collections, primary sources on microfilm, newspapers and periodicals, government documents, oral history, art, music, photography, and film and television. The largest portion of the work is comprised of finely "indexed" bibliographies of books and articles organized by time period. "Slave Trade," "Slavery," "Black/White Relations," "Resistance," "Abolition and Emancipation" are standard subheadings. A final section covers "Histories of Special Subjects": women, geographical areas, and autobiography and biography. As with all published bibliographies, users must update the lists.
American Historical Association. Guide to Historical Literature. Mary Beth Norton, general editior; associate editor Pamela Gerardi. 3rd ed. New York : Oxford University Press, 1995. 2 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection D20.A55 1995
Annotated citations for books and articles in English and other languages are organized in topical groupings. For African-American history see: " Colonial North America: African Americans and Slavery, " pp. 1264-1265; " United States, General: African Americans ," pp. 1301-1302; " American Revolution and Early Republic , 1754-1815: African Americans ," pp. 1353-1355; " United States, 1815-1877: The Slave South: Institution of Slavery and the Slave Trade ," pp. 1380-1382; " United States, 1815-1877: The Slave South: Economics of Slavery ," pp. 1382; " United States, 1815-1877: The Slave South: Southern Society and Culture " pp. 1382-1383; " United States, 1815-1877: The Slave South: Slave Culture, Community, and Resistance ," pp. 1383-1385; " United States, 1815-1877: The Slave South: Free People of Color ," pp. 1385; and " United States, 1815-1877: Ante-bellum Reform: Abolition ," pp. 1393-1394. The Civil War is covered in detail. As with all published bibliographies, users must update the lists.
General Historical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
History Resource Center : U.S.
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html
Use of this resource is restricted to University faculty, staff, and students and to onsite users. It is also available through the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. While this resource will lead to full-text periodical articles (from a modest list of journals), primary sources, and maps and multimedia, it is highlighted here for its ability to provide authoritative overview articles from a useful list of sources. Some of the important sources in this guide are not included among these; nonetheless, this can be a great place to begin research. Especially interesting is the set History in Dispute , which offers conflicting interpretations of a historical event or topic, for instance, "Did emancipation improve the condition of former slaves in the United States ?" or "Were abolitionists effective in their opposition to slavery?" One volume in this set is specifically focused on slavery: History in Dispute: Slavery in the Western Hemisphere Circa 1500-1888 (2003). Among the dictionaries and encyclopedias included are: Dictionary of American History (1976, 1996), Great American Court Cases (1999), Encyclopedia of American Social History (1993), Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History (1999), and Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and H istory (1996). Some of these and others are not the most recent editions available.
Reference Universe
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/refuniverse.html
This resource is available to University faculty, staff, and students and onsite. This is a unique database to which there is no print counterpart. There are many topical dictionaries and encyclopedias and they often contain useful articles that can go unnoticed by all but the most exhaustive and creative searcher. This database enables one to search article titles and/or back-of-the-book indexes for over 5,000 of these sources. Use this as a complementary tool to the sources that follow.
Dictionary of American History . Stanley I. Kutler, editor. 3 rd edition. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 10 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E174.D52 2003. The 1996 edition is available through History Resource Center: U.S. at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html ; but the most recent edition is available through the Gale Virtual Reference Library at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/GaleVirtRef.html
The first edition was published in 1940 and it was originally designed as a complement to the Dictionary of American Biography . Today it is the leading encyclopedia on American history. Deeper attention is given in the new edition to the role of African Americans and women than in earlier editions. And there is now more attention paid to social history. There are 841 new entries in the 2003 edition and 448 revised articles. Entries are well-written, conclude with references, are often illustrated, and often have a list of "see also" references to other relevant entries. The 9 th volume is comprised of maps and a collection of primary source documents. And the final volume includes a learning guide and an index.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution . Leonard W. Levy and Kenneth L. Karst, editors. 2 nd edition. New York : Macmillan Reference USA , 2000. 6 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections KF4548.E53. Also available on the Web through the Gale Virtual Reference Library at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/GaleVirtRef.html
The online version of this resource is available to University faculty, staff, and students and onsite visitors. This source offers the perspectives of history, law, and politics. Its well-written essays conclude with brief bibliographies. Among relevant essays are: Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation, Slavery and Civil Liberties, Slavery and Property, Slavery and the Constitution, Slavery in the Territories , and there is an entry on Abraham Lincoln . Appendices contain documents, a chronology, glossary, and a case index. The legal issues associated with slavery and the Civil War are well represented.
Encyclopedia of American Cultural & Intellectual History. Mary Kupiec Cayton, Peter W. Williams, editors. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. 3 vols. Undergraduate Library and Lockwood Library Reference Collections E169.1.E624 2001
Essays of interest are: Slavery and Race , pp. 313-320 by Paul Finkelman; Slave Culture and Consciousness , pp. 321-330 by Dickson D. Bruce, Jr.; Thought and Culture in the Free Black Community , pp. 331-341 by Graham Russell Hodges; Africa and America, pp. 23-36 by John K. Thornton; Race as a Cultural Category , pp. 147-156 by Joshua Lane; and Antislavery, pp. 355-365 by Julie Ray Jeffrey. All essays conclude with bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of American Social History. Mary Kupiec Cayton, Elliott J. Gorn, Peter W. Williams, editors. New York : Scribner, 1993. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections HN57 .E58 1993 . Also available through History Resource Center: U.S. at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html
Essays of interest are: Slavery , pp. 1407-1419 by James Oates and Racism , pp. 2089-2099 by Herbert Shapiro. Each essay concludes with a bibliography.
Encyclopedia of American Studies. George T. Kurian, editor. New York : Grolier Educational, 2001. 4 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E169.1.E625 2001
See Slavery , pp. 121-130 by Peter Wallenstein. This essay concludes with a bibliography.
Encyclopedia of the North American Colonies. Jacob Ernest Cooke, editor-in-chief; associate editors, W. J. Eccles ... et al .; special consultants, Mathe Allain . . . et al . New York : Scribner's Sons, c1993. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E45 .E53 1993
Essays of interest are: The Slaver Trade , pp. 45-66 by Joseph C. Miller; The Slave Trade: The British Colonies , pp. 67-87 by Robert McCalley; The Slave Trade: The Dutch Colony , pp. 87-89 by Joyce D. Goodfriend; The Slave Trade: The French Colonies , pp. 89-19 by David H. Usner, Jr.; The Slave Trade: The Spanish Borderlands , pp. 91-101 by David M. Brugge; Free Blacks , pp. 185-193 by Ira Berlin; African-American Culture , pp. 195-207 by William D. Piersen; and Slave Resistance , pp. 209-220 by Peter H. Wood. All essays conclude with bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Paul Finkelman, editor-in- chief. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. 3 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections E169.1.E626 2001
Essays of interest are: Slavery, pp. 149-151 by Peter Wallenstein; Urban Slavery , pp. 151-153 by Frank Schumacher; Domestic Slave Trade and Migration , pp 153-155 by Allen L. McDurmond; African Slave Trade , pp. 155-156 by Patrick M. O'Neil; Slave Life , pp. 156-162 by Matt Clavin; Slave Insurrections , pp. 162-164 by Ervin L. Jordan Jr.; Runaway Slaves , pp. 164-166 by Paul Finkelman; Law of Slavery , pp. 166-168 by Paul Finkelman; and Defense of Slavery , pp. 168-171 by Paul Finkelman.
African American Studies Encyclopedias
The African American Encyclopedia. Keith R. Rasmussen, editor. New York : Marshall Cavendish, 2001. 10 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections E185.A253 2001
This is a wide-ranging source, designed to be accessible to a wide range of users, and is useful at all levels. Entries new for this edition are signed and many entries end with a list of suggested scholarly readings. The work is heavily illustrated and is a storehouse of easily accessible and reliable information.
African Americans at War: An Encyclopedia . Jonathan Sutherland. Santa Barbara , Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 2004. 2 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection U52.S88 2004
Several entries cover the Civil War and treat such topics as the 54 th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the 1 st South Carolina Volunteers. Articles often include quotes and sometimes photographs. A chronology, list of engagements, and list of Medal of Honor winners are included in the second volume. The formation and service records of United States Colored Troops are included. The index has a separate section for military units.
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Jack Salzman, David Lionel Smith, and Cornel West, editors. New York : Macmillan Library Reference USA : Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996. 5 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections E185.E54 1996. Also available through History Resource Center: U.S. at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html
This comprehensive and scholarly text covers all periods in 2,300 entries. These range from a few paragraphs to several pages. Many well-known scholars, including John Hope Franklin, James Cone, and Robert Hill are among its contributors. Over 1,000 photographs and other images complement the text and there are over 130 pages of charts and tables. Entries conclude with references.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias and Chronologies of American Slavery
Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery . Randall M. Miller and John David Smith, editors. New York : Greenwood Press, 1988. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections E441.D53 1988
Nearly 300 entries, from a couple of paragraphs in length to several pages in length, cover all periods. Some entries treat broad subjects; others, individuals and other topics. Entries end with bibliographic references. Maps, charts, and tables are included and a chronology of events follows the entries. Emphasis is given to the institutional, intellectual, social, and political aspects of slavery.
Historical Dictionary of Slavery and Abolition. Martin A. Klein. Lanham , Maryland and London : The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. Lockwood Library Reference Collection HT861.K54 2002
All times and places are covered, with entries for people, places, and things. A wide ranging 26 page introduction explores the origins, evolution, and abolition of slavery. A 40 page bibliography has sections for " Narratives by Slaves," "Slave Owners" and " Slave Traders and Slave Trade." The work is introduced by a chronology.
The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery . Junius P. Rodriquez, editor. Santa Barbara , Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 1997. 2 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections HT861.H57 1997
This straightforward alphabetically arranged work is introduced by an eleven page essay by its editor which discusses the phenomena of slavery in human history. Entries are given for people, things, and events. Most entries, all signed and concluding with suggestions for further reading, are about one page to a page and a half in length. Illustrations are provided throughout the text. It concludes with a topically organized bibliography and is made accessible by a detailed subject index.
Macmillan Encyclopedia of World Slavery. Paul Finkelman and Joseph C. Miller, editors. New York : Macmillan Reference USA , Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1998. 2 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections, also Undergraduate Library Book Collection HT861.M24 1998
This is an outstanding topically organized scholarly resource. Among its general headings - under which detailed entries are grouped -- are "Abolition and Anti-Slavery Movements" and "Historiography of Slavery." Bibliographies accompany each entry and there is an overall bibliography.
Chronology of World Slavery . Junius P. Rodriguez, ed.; foreward by Orlando Patterson. Santa Barbara , Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 1999. Lockwood Library Reference and Undergraduate Library Book Collections HT861.R63 1999
This work is more than a chronology. As a chronology, its annotated entries are by year. Interspersed throughout the work are topical essays of half a page to a page and a half in length. These conclude with suggestions for further reading. The text is illustrated, includes a lengthy bibliography, and is made accessible through a detailed index. Maps and nearly 75 pages of documents are included.
Spartacus Encyclopedia on American History: Slavery; American Civil War
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAslavery.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivilwarC.htm
Intended for secondary school use, this resource is maintained by a respected British educational project. It can be useful for brief overviews and the text of some associated primary sources. For the "Slavery" section information is organized under the headings: "Slave Accounts," "The Slave System," "Slave Life," "Events and Issues," "Campaigns Against Slavery," "Political Organizations," and "British Campaigners." For the "American Civil War" section information is organized under the headings: "Civil War Chronology," "Civil War Battles," "Political Figures," "Military Leaders," "Organization, Events and Issues," "Civil War Soldiers," "Women and the War," "Writers. Artists and Photographers," and "Assassination of Abraham Lincoln."
Encyclopedias of the Civil War and Reconstruction
American Eras: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877. Thomas J. Brown, editor. Detroit : Gale Research, 1997. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections E166.A48 1997. Also available through History Resource Center: U.S. at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html
This resource useful for everyone, but intended as a resource for high school and beginning undergraduate students. It is comprised of overviews, detailed chronologies, brief biographical and topical entries, bibliographies, and many photographs (identifiable through their own index).
Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History. David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler, editors; David J. Coles, associate editor. Foreword by James M. McPherson. Santa Barbara , Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 2000. 5 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E468.H47 2000
Essays of interest include: Slaves , pp. 1796-1799, vol. 4 by Richard Digby-Junger; Abolitionist Movement , pp. 3-6, vol. 1 by Enrico Dal Lago; and Abolitionists, pp. 6-7, vol 1. by Edward R. Crowther. Consulting this resource and the Encyclopedia of the Confederacy together will often provide different perspectives on the same event.
Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. Richard N. Current, editor. New York : Simon & Schuster, 1993. 4 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E487.E55 1993
Essays of interest include: in volume 1 African-American Forgeworkers , pp. 3-4 by Robert H.McKenzie; African Americans in the Confederacy , pp. 4-9 by Edgar A. Toppin; and African American Troops in the Union Army , pp. 9-13 by Dudley T. Cornish. Volume 4: Slave Drivers , pp. 1433-1434 by Randall M. Miller; Slavery , pp. 1434-1448 by Robert Francis Engs; Slave Life, pp. 1448-1451 by Robert Francis Engs; and Slave Traders , pp. 1451-1453 by Michael Tadman.
American Reconstruction, 1862-1877. William L. Richter. Santa Barbara , Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 1996. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E668.R53 1996
Essays are well-written, analytical, and topical and include lengthy bibliographies. Some are over three pages long. Examples of topical entries are: African American Leadership and Reconstruction, Corruption as a Problem in Reconstruction, and Social Thought during and after Reconstruction. Well-chosen illustrations, a chronology, and a bibliography are included. And access is provided by a detailed index.
Historical Dictionary of Reconstruction . Hans Louis Trefousse. New York : Greenwood , 1991. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E668.T66 1991
Well-written generally one page articles, with bibliographies, cover the full range of topics for the period, 1862-1896. There are entries for events, organizations, laws, and major individuals, for example, Alabama , James Wilson Grimes, Memphis Riot, and Wade-Davis Bill . A detailed index is provided.
Encyclopedias of the American South
Encyclopedia of the Antebellum South. James M. Volo and Dorothy Denneen Volo. Westport , Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2000. Lockwood Library Reference Collection F213 .V65 2000
Although entries are generally short, this is an extremely valuable resource. Entries of special interest conclude: African Colonization, Atlantic Slave Trade, Black Slave Owners, Buying and Selling Slaves, Children Born as Slaves, Fear of Slave Revolts, Slave Burial, Slave Clothing, Slave Courtship and Marriage, Slave Dwellings, Slave Escapes, Slave Food, Slave Music, Slave Narratives, Slave Patrols, Slave Religion, Slave States, and Value of Slaves.
Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Charles Reagan Wilson & William Ferris, co-editors; Ann J. Abadie & Mary L. Hart, associate editors. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press , c1989. Lockwood Library Reference Collection F209.E53 1989
Be sure to use the index. See especially Slave Culture , pp. 192-194 by Loren Schweninger and the section Black Life , pp. 131-232 for which Thomas C. Holt served as consultant.
The Encyclopedia of Southern History. David C. Roller and Robert W. Twyman, editors; Avery O. Craven and Dewey W. Grantham, Jr., general consultants; Paul V. Crawford, consulting cartographer. Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, 1979. Lockwood Library Reference Collection F207.7 E52
Essays of special interest include: Slave Codes , pp. 1108-1109 by A. H. Keir Nash; Slave Insurrections , pp. 1109 by Robert McColley; Slavery , pp. 1110-1113 by Steven A. Channing; Slavery, Defense of , pp. 1113-1114 by L. A. Newby; Slaves, Fugitive , pp. 1115 by Norman Yetman; Slaves, Indian , pp. 1115 by Russell Maghaghi; Slave Trade, Atlantic , pp. 1116-1117 by Johannes Postma; Slave Trade, Domestic , pp. 1117-1118 by William L. Calderhead; and Colonization Proposals , pp. 256-257 by Edwin S. Redkey.
Biographical Sources
The Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia. Mark E. Neely, Jr. New York : McGraw-Hill, 1982. Lockwood Book Collection E457.N48
Lincoln is treated heavily in a great variety of reference sources; but this source is designed as a guide and overview to his thoughts on diversity of issues and to his personal relationships and associations. Illustrations and an index are included. Entries conclude with sources.
African American Genealogical Sourcebook. Paula K. Byers, editor. New York : Gale Research, 1995. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E185.96 .A444 1995
Learning the sources and techniques necessary to do African American genealogy requires becoming aware of some of the most salient aspects of African American history. This guide, and guides like it, is an important portal to the past. In addition to offering advice, detailed descriptions of many different kinds of historical records - generated by various institutions and as a result of various life events -- are given. A wealth of bibliographical information is also provided. Access is provided by separate author and subject indexes.
Dictionary of American Negro Biography. Rayford W. Logan and Michael R. Winston, editors. New York : Norton, 1982. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E185.96 .D53 1982
Long held to be an indispensable resource in this area and its first truly scholarly work. Many of the people included were influential in the segregated black community, but not in the greater society and, therefore, were excluded from broader biographical sets. Eight hundred entries were authored by 280 contributors.
Black Biography, 1790-1950: A Cumulative Index. Randall K. Burkett, Nancy Hall Burkett, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., editors. Alexandria : Chadwyck-Healey, 1991. 3 vols. Index to the microform collection Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790-1950 held in the Lockwood Library Reference Collection Z1361.N39B52 1991
This index was prepared to accompany the microfiche collection: Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790-1950, which is held in the Lockwood Library reference room under the same call number. This collection is comprised of microfiche copies of many sources - some old and rare - that are often overlooked or inaccessible to researchers.
Black Women in America : An Historical Encyclopedia. Darlene Clark Hine, editor; Elsa Barkley Brown and Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, associate editors. Brooklyn , N.Y. : Carlson Pub., 1993. 2 vols. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate Library Reference Collections E185.86.B542 1993
All historical periods are covered in more than 600 entries. Columbia University historian Eric Foner praised this book as changing the way the field is studied.
American National Biography . John Arthur Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, editors. "Published under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Socieities." New York : Oxford University Press, 1999. 24 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection CT213.A68 1999. Also available on the Web at
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/e-resources/anbio.html
This is the most current comprehensive source for biographies of famous Americans. Nonetheless, it can be used with the older Dictionary of American Biography and , as appropriate by period, with the British Dictionary of National Biography . It offers portraits of more than 17,400 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the nation. Searching full text for " abolition" retrieves 446 entries; for " slave ," 1,128 entries. Take a moment to view the Black History Month Special Collection .
Dictionary of American Biography. "Published under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies." New York : Scribner; London : Collier Macmillan 1928-1937. 21 vols. With 8 supplements and an index, 1944-1989. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E176.D563. Also available on the Web through History Resource Center: U.S. at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html
This was a monumental undertaking, subject to considerable debate and sustained attention by the historical community and others, during its creation. While some of its interpretations are dated - and it has been criticized for inadequate coverage of women and minorities, many of its essays remain masterpieces and may be profitably consulted in conjunction with newer sources. Many of the topically focused sets listed here were published to compensate for its perceived gaps in inclusion or depth of coverage.
American Biographical Index. Laureen Baillie, editor. London ; New York : K.G. Saur, 1993. 6 vols. Index to the microform collection American Biographical Archive held in the Lockwood Library Reference Collection E17 .A53 1993
This index provides access to the corresponding microfiche collection, which is comprised of collated entries for individuals covered. These entrees are taken from the dictionaries it indexes. Many of the sets indexed are old and rare and are infrequently available in such a convenient collection.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Edited by H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2004. 60 vols. Lockwood Library Reference Collection DA28.O95 2004. Also available on the Web at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ODNB.html
The major source for biographical information on individuals - engaged in all areas of activity -- who have lived in the British-dominated world. The later is important to note because individuals who lived in the colonies (including the American colonies), the Commonwealth, or "associated" places are included. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is the direct successor of the esteemed Dictionary of National Biography . Because it includes essays on some Americans, for example, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, it offers yet another easily accessible perspective on these famous individuals -on the other hand, many of these "colonial" essays were written by American scholars.
Women during the Civil War: An Encyclopedia . Judith E. Harper; foreward by Elizabeth D. Leonard. New York : Routledge, 2004. Lockwood Library Reference Collection E628.H37 2004
This source is comprised of both biographical and topical entries. Each entry concludes with a brief bibliography of selected readings and is 2-5 pages in length. Some entries are accompanied by photographs. Among topical entries are: Abolition, African-American Women, Camp Life , Diaries, General Order No. 28, and Slavery and Emancipation. A bibliography and index are provided.
