Library Guides: History: America: Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias

Using specialized encyclopedias to become familiar with your topic is the most efficient way to get started on your research. These encyclopedias, written by knowledgeable scholars, will summarize your topic, provide you with social and historical context, familiarize you with specialized terminology, and often provide lists of additional resources on your topic. They are providing you in condensed form information from multiple books and articles. Think of them as CliffsNotes ... that you are allowed to use.

Try a combination like this in UC Library Search:

Use the keyword search so that it looks for the words everywhere in the record.
The asterisk is a truncation symbol, which will retrieve variations of the word: ethic, ethics, ethical, etc.
Use AND in caps to combine your search terms.
To find print encyclopedias, limit your search to UC Berkeley catalog. Otherwise, use the default "Articles, books and more."

Try different terminology and be persistent. If you are not finding a relevant resource, be sure to ask for help.

Selected Encyclopedias and Other Reference Works

American Decades
Call Number: E169.12 .A419 1994 Doe Reference Reference Hall (and online)

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Scholarly full text biographies and bibliographies on thousands of Americans.
Biographical portraits of more than 17,400 American men and women.

Americans at War
Call Number: E181 .A453 2005 Doe Reference Reference Hall

BlackPast.org
An online reference guide to African American history.

Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive original essays that target key individuals and “often overlooked secondary figures” of the American Enlightenment such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, David Rittenhouse, and Jonathan Edwards.
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1896 This link opens in a new window
Full text scholarly encyclopedia of African American history from Colonial Times through the age of Frederick Douglass
Entries on African American history from Colonial Times through the age of Frederick Douglass. This resource is part of Oxford African American Studies Center (OAASC).
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896-present This link opens in a new window
Full text scholarly encyclopedia of African American history covering the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement up through the election of Barack Obama. (From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick Douglass)
"Contains approximately 1,200 references covering the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement up through the election of Barack Obama. This resource is part of Oxford African American Studies Center (OAASC)."

Encyclopedia of American Disability History
Call Number: HV1553 .E523 2009 Doe Reference Reference Hall

Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America This link opens in a new window
Scholarly online encyclopedia covering over 400 years of lesbian and gay history and culture in the United States, presented through over 500 alphabetically arranged entries.
Survey of more than 400 years of lesbian and gay history and culture in the United States, presented through over 500 alphabetically arranged entries. Coverage includes people, public policy, economics, social issues, identities, and culture, among many others. For students, researchers, and general readers. (Online version of 2004 edition in 3 volumes.)

Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
Call Number: KF4548 .E53 2000 Doe Reference Reference Hall (and online)
The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War
Call Number: E208 .E64 2006 Doe Reference Reference Hall
Encyclopedia of the Cold War
Call Number: Doe Reference Reference Hall D840 .E625 2008
The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: a political, social, and military history
Call Number: D840 .E63 2008 Doe Reference Reference Hall
The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War
Call Number: DS557.7 .E53 2011 Doe Reference Reference Hall
Encyclopedia of the U. S. Government and the Environment
Call Number: GE180 .E53 2011 Doe Reference Reference Hall
Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History
Call Number: E183 .E53 2010 Doe Reference Reference Hall
Gale Encyclopedia of U. S. Economic History
Imperialism and Expansionism in American History
Call Number: E713 .I47 2016 Doe Reference Reference Hall

Oxford Reference Online - History This link opens in a new window
Scholarly online historical encyclopedias and dictionaries, including military history, the Enlightenment, the Middle Ages, World War II, world exploration, African American history and more.
Access to more than 40 reference sources published by Oxford University Press on history. Topics of reference volumes include: military history, the Enlightenment, the Middle Ages, World War II, world exploration, African American history and much more. Search sources collectively or search within an individual title.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History This link opens in a new window
Contains peer-reviewed and regularly updated articles on significant topics and trends relating to the study of American history.

Postwar America: an encyclopedia of social, political, cultural, and economic history
Call Number: E169.12 .P654 2007 Doe Reference Reference Hall
Publication Date: 2006

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History: America: Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias

Selected Encyclopedias and Other Reference Works