Research Guides
AIS370/HSTAA315: Researching Indians' History - spr 2014: Quick Background Info
Why Use Background Info
So you're exploring possible ideas for your paper. One good place to start your preliminary exploration of a topic is an encyclopedia. Sure wikipedia can be good start but there are many other specialized encyclopedias that can be useful.
- Encyclopedias help you figure out the who, what & where of a topic. Knowing the who, what & where of a topic is the first step in researching a topic and discovering the "how" and "why".
- Plus you can use the who, whats and wheres to to find relevant secondary sources (using the sources listed under the tab "Scholarly Analyses") as well as primary sources.
- And encyclopedias give you a jump start on your research by listing important books in the bibliography at the end of the entry.
Find Background Info
The encyclopedias listed on this page are just a small selection from the hundreds that are available online and in print at the UW Libraries. For additional ones check the "Encyclopedias" tab of the various History subject guides.
Encyclopedia Collections
- Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
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Collection of 100s of encyclopedias covering all subject areas - Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
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Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference works from Oxford University Press
General American History- Dictionary of American History
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Major encyclopedia covering all periods of American history - HistoryLinkEncyclopedia of Washington State history
- Oxford encyclopedia of American military and diplomatic historyMore than 450 entries covering all aspects of military & diplomatic history
- Oxford Encyclopedia of American Business, Labor, and Economic History
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More than 500 "essays about notable business topics span colonial times to the present" - Oxford encyclopedia of American political and legal history
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- Oxford encyclopedia of American social history
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Native American History- American Indian culture
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"Entries cover the range of culture from lifeways, religious rituals, and material culture to art forms and modern social phenomena"
- American Indian Experience This link opens in a new window
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Encyclopedia content, primary documents, and images illustrating the histories and cultures of the Native peoples of North America
- Cambridge history of the native peoples of the Americas
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Not an encyclopedia but a scholarly multi-volume history of Native Americans - Encyclopedia of American Indian history
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More than 400 entries on all aspects of Native American history - Encyclopedia of Native American History
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Covers the "most important individuals, events, and topics in American Indian history" - Encyclopedia of North American Indian wars, 1607-1890 a political, social, and military history
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Entries cover all aspects of the North American Indian Wars with a focus on campaigns, people, tribes and legislation - Encyclopedia of North American Indians
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More than 1,200 entries on individuals, tribes, and many aspects of Native American history - Encyclopedia of United States Indian policy and lawPrinted two-volume set examines the history and impact of U.S. relations with Native Americans; includes extensive essays and shorter A to Z entries; Suzzallo Reference KF8205 .E525 2009
- Guide to the Indian tribes of the Pacific NorthwestGuide to 150 Pacific Northwest tribes of Native Americans; current edition in print Suzzallo Reference E78.N77 R79 2010
- Treaties with American Indians: an encyclopedia of rights, conflicts, and sovereigntyPrinted multi-volume encyclopedia provides a comprehensive introduction to more than 400 treaties that date from 1684 to 1999; Suzzallo Reference KF8203.6 .T74 2008