Reference - Books - American History - LibGuides at Spoon River College

Culture

A New Literary History of America

A New Literary History of America contains essays on topics from the first conception of a New World in the sixteenth century to the latest re-envisioning of that world in cartoons, television, science fiction, and hip hop. Literature, music, film, art, history, science, philosophy, political rhetoriccultural creations of every kind appear in relation to each other, and to the time and place that give them shape. Also contains an introduction and index.
Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850

In analytical articles, this work explores the developments that influenced the profound changes in thought and sensibility during the second half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century.
Modern American Lives: Individuals and Issues in American History Since 1945

This book seeks not only to acquaint students with the lives of a variety of influential Americans, both famous and lesser-known, but also to provide a comprehensive examination, through those lives, of the critical issues that determined the course of modern American history.
Encyclopedia of American Studies by Simon Bronner

Brings together a wide range of disciplines related to the history and cultures of the United States, from pre-colonial days to the present.
The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment by Mark Spencer

The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment is the first reference work on this key subject in early American history. With over 500 original essays on key American Enlightenment figures, it provides a comprehensive account to complement the intense scholarly activity that has recently centered on the European Enlightenment.

Warfare

The Reader's Companion to Military History by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker

Filled with surprising anecdotes, little-known facts, and rare illustrations, this resource covers major events and battles, commanders and theorists, weaponry and technological advances, and strategy and tactics.

Civil War

Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Social, Political, and Military History

South Carolina content in this title
An award-winning and highly recommended comprehensive reference set on the political, social, and military aspects of the American Civil War.
Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia

Although the book provides a daily chronicle of the combat, it is written in narrative form to give readers some continuity as they move from skirmish to skirmish.

Colonial America

Encyclopedia of North American Indians

Written by contemporary authorities, the volume features many Native American contributors - including eminent writers, tribal elders, scholars, and activists - with voices as distinct as their subjects, offering a deeper and more informed appreciation of American Indian life, past and present.

Foreign Relations

Africa and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History by Richard M. Juang and Noelle Morrissette

This encyclopedia explores the many long-standing influences of Africa and people of African descent on the culture of the Americas, while tracing the many ways in which the Americas remain closely interconnected with Africa.
Britain and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History by Will Kaufman and Heidi Slettedahl Macpherson

A comprehensive encyclopedia covering the close ties between Britain and the whole of the Americas, examining Britain's cultural and political legacy to the nations of the New World.
France and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History

A unique, multidisciplinary encyclopedia covering the impacts that French and American politics, foreign policy, and culture have had on shaping each country's identity.
Germany and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History by Thomas Adam

This comprehensive encyclopedia details the close ties between the German-speaking world and the Americas, examining the extensive Germanic cultural and political legacy in the nations of the New World and the equally substantial influence of the Americas on the Germanic nations.
Iberia and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History by J. Michael Francis

This comprehensive encyclopedia covers the reciprocal effects that the politics, foreign policy, and culture of Spain, Portugal, and the American nations have had on one another since the time of Columbus.

African American History

Black Firsts

Tells stories of barrier-breaking pioneers in all fields-arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, inventing, journalism, religion, science, sports, and more.
Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World

Examines every effort to end slavery in the United States and the transatlantic world. It focuses on massive, broad-based movements, as well as specific incidents, events, and developments, and pulls together in one place information previously available only in a wide variety of sources.

Biographies

American Environmental Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present by Anne Becher and Joseph Richey

A collection of biographies of the men and women who have made a significant contribution to environmental issues over the last 200 years. Biographies range from scientists to advocates, businessmen to musicians, politicians to actors, along with others who have forever altered how we think about the environment.
From Suffrage to the Senate: America's Political Women

A comprehensive and valuable compendium of biographies of leading women in U.S. politics, past and present, and an examination of the wide range of women's movements.
Speakers of the House of Representatives, 1789-2009

Contains detailed profiles, historical essays, primary documents, timeline, and bibliography.

Law and Politics

Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture and the Law by Gregg Lee Carter

Top scholars present an unbiased work that takes on the explosive issue of guns and gun violence in the United States.
Political Corruption in America: An Encyclopedia of Scandals, Power & Greed by Mark Grossman

Covers the complete scandal-filled history of American political corruption.
Conspiracy Theories in American History by Peter Knight

A comprehensive history of conspiracies and conspiracy theories in the United States.
American Presidents Ranked by Performance, 1789-2012

This title evaluates each president on his effectiveness in each area and a final analysis is provided for the scores combined. The most overrated and underrated chief executives are identified., with each entry including a biographical and political information, as well as an analysis of their overall behavior and status.
American Constitutional Law: The Structure of Government

American Constitutional Law provides a comprehensive account of the nations defining document. Based on the premise that the study of the Constitution and constitutional law is of fundamental importance to understanding the principles, prospects, and problems of America, this text puts current events in terms of what those who initially drafted and ratified the Constitution sought to accomplish.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History by Michael Kazin

An essential resource for anyone interested in U.S. history and politics, this two-volume encyclopedia covers the major forces that have shaped American politics from the founding to today. Broad in scope, the book addresses both the traditional topics of political history--such as eras, institutions, political parties, presidents, and founding documents---and the wider subjects of current scholarship, including military, electoral, and economic events, as well as social movements, popular culture, religion, education, race, gender, and more.
The Encyclopedia of The Continental Congresses

This title examines the in-depth history of the first Continental Congress in 1774 and the first Federal Congress in 1789. Coverage dives into the impact and role in the shaping and foundation of early American Society and government.

General

The Great American History Fact-Finder

Covers a wide spectrum of American history and culture, including political events, military history, sports, arts, entertainment, landmark legislation, and business. The book's concise entries, arranged from A to Z, bring the United States' past into sharp focus while also offering just plain useful facts about the well known and not so well known.
The Reader's Companion to American History

Offers entries covering the critical events, issues and individuals that have shaped American History.
Encyclopedia of American Studies

Brings together a wide range of disciplines related to the history and cultures of the United States, from pre-colonial days to the present.
Keywords for American Cultural Studies

Entries in this volume synthesize a great deal of information about the historical and contemporary meanings of many of the central terms that structure the fields of American studies and cultural studies; they provide contexts for the usage of those terms by discussing how their meanings have developed over time; and they may even unlock a few mysteries and break a few codes.
Encyclopedia of Human Rights in the United States by H. Victor Conde

This title offers easy to grasp explanations of the basic concepts and laws in the field, with emphasis on human rights in the historical, political, and legal experience of the United States. This indispensable resource surveys the legal protection of human dignity in the United States, examines the sources of human rights norms, cites key legal cases, explains the role of international governmental and non-governmental organizations, and charts global, regional, and UN human rights measures.

American History: Reference - Books

Credo Reference

Culture

Warfare

Civil War

Colonial America

Foreign Relations

African American History

Biographies

Law and Politics

General