History and biography resources

African-American History Online is a comprehensive reference database from Facts on File, covering more than 500 years of African-American history—from the slave trade to the Civil Rights movement to the present day. Thousands of extensively hyperlinked and informative entries include topical entries, biographies, primary source documents, images, videos and slideshows, timelines, maps and graphs. 

American Civil War Reference Library provides online access to the five-volume print edition, with biographical profiles of major figures, coverage of significant events and primary source materials. Aimed at students in grades 6-12, this resource provides in-depth information for reports and class assignments.

American Decades is a cross-disciplinary source for middle- and high-school students, teachers, public librarians and general researchers who need a single, consistent reference to document and analyze periods of contemporary American social history. This resource offers online access to the multi-volume print edition, covering each decade of the 20th century and continuing into the 21st century.

American History Online is a comprehensive and authoritative reference to the most important individuals, events and topics in U.S. history. Topical entries, biographies, maps, timelines, primary source documents, images and videos connect users to related entries. Extensive overview essays provide detail on each time period. Sections devoted to American Women's History and U.S. Government are also included.

American Indian History Online provides in-depth coverage of Native American culture and history from the earliest archeological records to the 21st century. Native American groups are covered in topical entries, primary source documents, biographies, maps, images, timelines, videos and slideshows. Content is also searchable by era and culture area.

With biographies, primary sources and an almanac with timelines and key events, students will find all the information they need for reports and class assignments on the Revolutionary War period in accessible, easy-to-understand language.

This encyclopedia, formerly known as the Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World, examines the early European civilizations responsible for such accomplishments as the rise of farming in the Neolithic era and the building of Stonehenge. Coverage extends from prehistoric origins through the early Middle Ages (8000 BC to AD 1000) when tribal movements helped define the end of ancient culture and the rise of the modern European world.

Covers the Asian American experience from the early 18th century to the present day. Includes primary source documents from and about Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage--including Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, South Asians, Vietnamese and others.

Explore a wide variety of maps, including maps of the world, continents, countries and U.S. states as well as antique and historical maps, outline maps and U.S. topographic maps. Geography quiz games and lesson plans are also available.

Formerly known as Biography Resource Center, this database combines information from Gale's biographical reference books to provide biographies of contemporary and historical figures worldwide. In addition to biographical entries, each subject's page provides links to relevant newspaper, magazine, academic journal, web and audio content. Users may search for people by name or keyword, or browse among a selection of categories.

One of the largest biographical databases available, H.W. Wilson's Biography Reference Bank contains substantive biographical articles on individuals collected from dozens of reference sources. Also provided are images and links to magazine and journal articles. Advanced searches allow for searching by profession, gender and place of origin as well as birth and death dates.

The experience and impact of Hispanic Americans as recorded by the news media, 1704 to today. From the earliest days of the colonial era through modern times, people of Spanish speaking heritage have shaped the geography, arts, culture, and civil discourse of the United States. This primary source collection offers a window into centuries of Hispanic American history, culture, and daily life – as well as the ways the dominant culture has portrayed and perceived people of Hispanic descent.

The experience and impact of Immigrant Americans as recorded by the news media.

The experience and impact of Indigenous Americans as recorded by the news media.

This resource offers comprehensive digital coverage of the New York Times back to 1851. It provides instant access to news about events such as the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and the turn of the millennium. Access headlines for important dates in history and search for editorial cartoons, obituaries, front pages and general articles.

Provides online access to historical newspapers dating from the early 1700s into the 2000s. Contains full runs and portions of runs of well-known, regional and state titles to small local newspapers in the United States and other countries, including the Columbus Evening Dispatch, Daily Ohio Statesman and Delaware Gazette. Browse by country and U.S. state, newspaper title or date range, or search the full text.

From Encyclopedia Britannica, entries include primary source documents such as speeches, essays, biographies and editorials spanning 1493 to the present and written by prominent figures in American history including Susan B. Anthony, Henry Ford, John Hancock, Malcolm X and Emily Dickinson. Also includes a selection of historical photographs and audio and video clips. Formerly known as Annals of American History Online.