Research Guides
History : African American: Encyclopedias
A research guide to primary and secondary sources for African American history.
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". Encyclopedias and dictionaries can provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. Many also provide a jumpstart on your research by listing related readings.
Major encyclopedia: Oxford African American Studies Center
Two online encyclopedia collections: Gale Ebooks & Oxford Reference Online
Quick Info: Encyclopedias
- African American Activism and Political Engagement: An Encyclopedia of Empowerment
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- African American Culture: An Encyclopedia of People, Traditions, and Customs
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- African American Experience
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- Black power encyclopedia : from "Black is beautiful" to urban uprisings
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- Black women in America
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- Encyclopedia of African American culture and history
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- Encyclopedia of African American History
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- Encyclopedia of African-American Politics
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- Encyclopedia of American Civil Rights and Liberties
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- Encyclopedia of Free Blacks and People of Color in the Americas
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- Enslaved Women in America: An Encyclopedia
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- Forgotten African American Firsts: An Encyclopedia of Pioneering History
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- Great Black Migration: A Historical Encyclopedia
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- Jim Crow: A Historical Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic
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- Martin Luther King Jr: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works
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- Oxford African American Studies Center
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- Reconstruction: A Historical Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic
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In Depth Info: Handbooks & Companions
These books provide a survey of the state of research about a topic or region, historiography or concise overviews.
- Abolitionism: a Very Short Introduction
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- African American History: A Very Short Introduction
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- American Slave Revolts and Conspiracies: A Reference Guide
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- Black Reparations Project: A Handbook for Racial Justice
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- Civil Rights Movement: A Reference Guide
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- Civil Rights Movement: A Very Short Introduction
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- Companion to African American History
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- Companion to the Harlem Renaissance
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- Harlem Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction
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- Montgomery Bus Boycott : A History and Reference Guide
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- Oxford Handbook of African American Citizenship, 1865-Present
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- Oxford Handbook of Slavery in the Americas
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- Oxford Handbook of the African American Slave Narrative
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Statistics
- Historical Statistics of the United States
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- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
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