Secondary Sources

Choosing Secondary Sources

Secondary sources are documents used to analyze, interpret, or study an historically important person or event. Examples of secondary sources include

Watch the video below to find out how to choose the best secondary sources.

Secondary source books and articles can be found in the library catalog and in the following databases:

History Reference Source This link opens in a new window
Offers a wide range of full text information: 2,400 reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, 135 periodicals, 61,100 historical documents, 57,000 biographies of historical figures, 110,200 historical photos and maps, and over 80 hours of historical video.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text scholarly journals & ebooks in the humanities, social sciences, sciences and interdisciplinary content; not for current events.
History eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
Browse this selection of history E-Books. Keep the following code in the search bar to search within this collection of ebooks: (EC HIS*); you will also need to include the word AND and the search term that you are searching for in order to successfully search this database.
Open Library This link opens in a new window
You will need to sign up for an account with a valid email address. Some of the books are available to download and keep while others can be borrowed and read online only. These books are returned after 2 weeks, but can be checked out again.

Use the call numbers below to find books about early American history on the library's shelves.

E 51-73: Pre-Colombian America

E 75-99: Native peoples of North America

E 101- 35: Early European exploration of America

E 176-176.8: United States, history, biography

E 186-199: Colonial history, 1607-1775

E 201-298: The Revolution, 1775-1783

E 300-453: Revolution to the Civil War, 1775/1783-1861

E 456-655: Civil War period, 1861-1865