Research Guides: Indigenous Studies: Background Sources

Background Sources

Background sources like encyclopedias present general information on a topic. They can give you a general understanding of a topic and serve as a starting point for your research.

American Indian History This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of the history of the American Indian.
Offers access to more than 600 Native American groups and over 15,000 years of American Indian culture and history.
American History This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of American history.
Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history, highlighting the important people and events of the American experience. Includes biographies, events and topics, primary sources, timelines, images and videos, maps and charts. All full text.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive college-level encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia of American Studies This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia articles covering the field of American Studies.
The term American Studies encompasses a vast range of disciplines, all of which describe the cultures of the United States. In recent years comparative studies of Canada and Latin America have been incorporated.
U.S. History (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
Contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events and topics in U.S. history.
Topics range from the arrival of Vikings in North America to the first stirrings of the American Revolution, the Civil Rights movement, 9/11, and the War on Terror.
eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new window
Ethnographic collections covering all aspects of cultural and social life.