Tips
Encyclopedias are great for:
- choosing a topic
- quick self-education
- perspective on a topic
- variant spellings, vocabulary, terminology
- bibliography
Cambridge Histories
- Cambridge Histories OnlineProvides full text online access to the complete 300-plus volumes of Cambridge Histories reference series. Provides political, economic and social history, philosophy and literature of selected countries and subjects.
General
- Gale virtual reference libraryExcellent collection of full text encyclopedias.
- Oxford Reference OnlineOutstanding collection of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and companions.
Historical Statistics
Databases
- Cornell Research Guide to U.S. CensusThis guide describes online access to the contemporary Federal censuses and the historical census.
Print sources
- Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970Call Number: Olin Library Reference, HA 202 A385 1976 +
- International Historical Statistics: Africa, Asia, and Oceania 1750-1993Call Number: Olin Reference HA4675 .M552x 1998
- International Historical Statistics: the Americas, 1750-1993Call Number: Olin Reference HA175 .M55x 1998Presents comparative statistics for 26 North, Central, and South American countries, mostly from the mid-19th century to the early 1970s. Tables are grouped in 11 broad subject areas.
- International Historical Statistics: Europe, 1750-1993Call Number: Olin Reference HA 1107 M5x 1998Official and unofficial statistical sources were used to provide comparative data for the 26 European countries (including Russia) treated.
- Statistical Abstract of the United StatesCall Number: Latest volume in Olin Library Reference, HA202 .U58Standard annual summary of statistics on the social, political and economic organization of the United States. A fabulous statistical reference and guide to other statistical publications and sources.
Published by the US government from 1878 - 2012.
PDFs of print editions available on the U.S. Census Bureau website. Later editions published by Proquest.
Earlier volumes, back to volume 1 (1878), available in the Olin stacks, and other Cornell campus library locations.
Encyclopedias
General:
- Oxford Research Encyclopedias: American HistoryHighly recommended. Excellent articles. Updated frequently.
- The Oxford Companion to United States historyAlso in print, (Olin Reference E174 .O94 2001 +).
- Dictionary of American historyA classic ten volume encyclopedia. Also in print (Olin Reference E174 .D52x 2003 +)
Encyclopedia of American Studies by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, E169.1 .E625x 2001 +Publication Date: 2001In print and online.
Note: The online, EAS is updated and expanded on a twice a year basis, with occasional feature articles on the American Studies Association website.- Encyclopedia of American ReligionsCall Number: Olin Reference BL2530.058 M52+ 1987
- Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and HistoryCall Number: Olin and Africana Reference E 185 E54 19965 volumes
- Encyclopedia of American Cultural & Intellectual HistoryCall Number: Olin Reference E169.1 .E624x 2001
- Encyclopedia of American Social HistoryCall Number: Olin Reference HN 57 .E56 19923 volumes
- Encyclopedia of American Political HistoryCall Number: Olin Stacks and Reference E 183 .E563 volumes
- Encyclopedia of American foreign policyAlso in print, (Olin Reference E183.7 .E52x 2002 +)
In print, only
Colonial
- Encyclopedia of the North American ColoniesCall Number: Olin Reference E45 E53x 1993A comprehensive encyclopedia of the American colonies, including not only the original 13 British colonies, but the French, Dutch and Spanish colonies, as well. The encyclopedia provides a comparative treatment of topics, either in one comparative essay or several focusing on the different colonies. The encyclopedia also offers some coverage of the interaction of the colonies with native peoples.
- The Encyclopedia of Colonial and Revolutionary AmericaCall Number: Olin Reference E 188 E56
19th Century
- Encyclopedia of the ConfederacyCall Number: Olin Reference E487 .E563 volumes
- Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth CenturyCall Number: Olin Reference E169.1 .E626x 20013 volumes
- Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: a Political, Social, and Military HistoryCall Number: Olin Reference E468 .H47x 20005 volumes
- Encyclopedia of Southern CultureCall Number: Olin Reference F 209 .E56 1989
- Women during the Civil War : an encyclopediaCall Number: Olin Reference E628 .H37x 2004
- Encyclopedia of the American Civil War : a political, social, and military historyCall Number: Olin Reference E468 .H47x 20005 volumes
Modern
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, E169.1 .S764 2013 +Publication Date: 2013In print and online.- Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth CenturyCall Number: Olin Reference E740.7 .E56 19964 volumes
- The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in AmericaCall Number: Olin Reference E185.61 E544x 19983 volumes
Biography
- American National Biography.also available in print, (Olin Reference CT213 .A68x 1999 +). Offers portraits of more than 17,400 men and women, from all eras and walks of life, whose lives have shaped the nation. Features thousands of illustrations, hyperlinked cross-references and links to select web sites.
- Biography and Genealogy Master Indexalso in print, (Olin Reference Z5305. U5 B61 +). Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) indexes current, readily available reference sources, as well as the most important retrospective works that cover individuals, both living and deceased, from every field of activity and from all areas of the world.
- Dictionary of National Biography OnlineThe standard work for English biography. 50,000 biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond, from the earliest times to the year 2000. Also in print, (Olin Reference CT773 .D55)
Biographical Sources in print format, only
- American Biographical ArchiveCall Number: microfiche CT213 .A51 1995 shelved in microforms alcove Olin Library Lower Level.This set reproduces entries from biographical sources. Includes Canadians. American biographical index (Olin Library Reference CT213 .A511 1998 +) This 10 volume set serves as an index to the microfice.
- Archives Biographiques FrançaisesCall Number: Microfiche CT1003 .I532 1990Reproduces entries from nearly 180 biographical sources published from the earliest time to 1914. Includes supplements of omissions. Indexed by Archives Biographiques Françaises (Olin Reference CT1003 .I53x 1998 +). Useful both as an index to the microfiche and as independent resource, providing dates, occupations, and citations to both printed sources and the microfiche set.
- British biographical ArchiveCall Number: Microfiche CT773 .B86A one-alphabet cumulation of 324 of the most important English-language biographical reference works, other than the Dictionary of National Biography, originally published between 1601 and 1929. Indexed by British Biographical Index (Olin Reference +CT773 .B86 1998). Useful both as an index to the microfiche and as independent resource, providing dates, occupations, and citations to both printed sources and the microfiche set.
- Dictionnaire de Biographie FrançaiseCall Number: Olin Reference CT143 .D55 +An important dictionary of national biography, unfortunately still incomplete (to date up to L). More convenient to use, but not nearly as extensive as the microfiche set above.