Learn more about United States history with these recommended resources. You can find articles in databases or use databases on issues in U.S. History. Books are always good resources for history research. Find books online and in the library. Watch a streaming video on U.S. history events and topics. Discover primary sources and digital collections with websites with U.S. history collections.
Find articles in databases
Use one or more of these databases to find articles on your history topic. All of these databases have scholarly articles, but ProQuest Research and US History have additional source types like magazines.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window Collection of articles from scholarly journals. For best results use advanced search: 1) limit item type to articles, 2) select date range, and 3) narrow to a history discipline
- ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window Find articles from magazines and journals on topics in U.S. history
- US History (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new window Journals and magazines covering events in U.S. history. NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Find books
Books are an excellent resource for history research. Quickly determine if the book has what you need by using a print book's table of contents and index.
Find books online
- eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowSearch this extensive eBook collection for your U.S. history topic
Find books in Thigpen Library
- Pioneer Search - In the Library
Search for items on the shelf in one of Vol State campus libraries
Browse the Thigpen Library shelves
- E51-73 Pre-Columbian America.
- E75-99 Indians of North America
- E101-135 Discovery of America and early explorations
- E184-185 Afro-Americans
- E186-199 Colonial history (1607-1775)
- E201-298 The Revolution, 1775-1783
- E300-453 Revolution to the Civil War, 1775/1783-1861
- E456-655 Civil War period, 1861-1865
- E660-738 Late nineteenth century, 1865-1900
- E740-837 Twentieth century
- E838-889 Later twentieth century, 1961-2000
- E895-904 Twenty-first century
Watch a streaming video
In the library's streaming video collections are documentaries on historical events and persons. The videos have transcripts that are searchable and take you quickly to any point in the video.
- Academic Video Online: Premium This link opens in a new window Browse streaming video titles by subject or search for your topic. Includes over 7,000 newsreels Videos are closed-captioned with transcripts.
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- History Collection (Films on Demand) Streaming videos in Biography, American History, European History, Military History, and World History. Videos are closed-captioned with transcripts
Issues in U.S. History
These library databases focus on specific issues in U.S. history.
- Issues & Controversies in History This link opens in a new window Collection of reference articles and primary documents on major historical issues and conflicts. Browse by eras s in World and U.S. history or by regions.
- HeinOnline Gun Regulation and Legislation in America This link opens in a new window Collection of relevant periodicals, compiled legislative histories, CRS reports, Congressional hearings, US Supreme Court briefs, monographs, and other materials on the topic of regulating firearms in the United States.
- HeinOnline Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law This link opens in a new window Collection of legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. Includes every statute passed by every colony and state on slavery, every federal statute dealing with slavery, and all reported state and federal cases on slavery.
These websites link you to other resources on issues in U.S. history.
- Constitution Annotated The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation ("Constitution Annotated" or "CONAN") provides a legal analysis and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution based on a comprehensive review of Supreme Court case law and, where relevant, historical practices that have defined the text of the Constitution. This resource is regularly updated and is written in "plain English." Government website: US Congress
- Foreign Relations of the United States: Historical Documents The Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. U.S. Department of State: Office of the Historian
Websites with U.S. History collections
These digital collections and websites have primary materials in U.S. history.
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922.
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - Library of CongressExplore U.S. history with the extensive digital collections of the Library of Congress. Find documents, images, sound recordings and videos from the early days to the modern era.
- Foreign Relations of the United States: Historical DocumentsThe Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity.
U.S. Department of State: Office of the Historian - National ArchivesAccess primary records, photographs, and online exhibits.
- National Security ArchiveNational Security Archive is an investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents, and leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
The George Washington University - NYPL Digital CollectionsDigitized items from the collections of the New York Public Library. The database has prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more. New materials are continually being added