Skip to Main Content

American History to 1877 - HIST 121 Resource Guide

A survey of institutions, politics, culture, and society in America from colonization to reconstruction

Search Terms

These are some search terms to get you started on researching Early America:

"Native Americans" AND "European exploration"
"colonization" AND "America"
"colonial expansion"
"Atlantic slave trade"
"imperialism"
"Colonial America"
"pilgrims"
"French and Indian War"

Best Bets

The following resources are your "best bets" for research and learning more about Early America.

Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History by James Ciment (Editor); Michael Zuckerman (Introduction by)
Call Number: R 973.2 C718c 2006 v1-5
ISBN: 0765680653
These 5 volumes cover various topics related to Colonial America. The topics are arranged alphabetically, and these encyclopedias can be useful to learn more about more specific topics, find topics for research, or find search terms for research.

Founders Online: Colonial Era
This website is part of the National Archives, and includes primary source records created during the Colonial Era (1706-1775).
Colonial America: New World Settlements
This resource is a History Channel resource that includes articles, photographs, and videos. Use this resource to find additional information about the Colonial Era.

The Atlantic Slave Trade by Herbert S. Klein
ISBN: 9780521766302
Publication Date: 2010-04-26
This book discusses numerous topics including, but not limited to, the American labor demand, the Middle Passage, and the impacts of the slave trade.