ABC-CLIO, Infobase Learning, and Britannica are great Encyclopedia databases to build a good foundation of understanding.
Gale databases are great article databases to use when you know a little bit about your topic already.
The eBooks are also great sources for reference information.
Encyclopedia articles for background research and exploration in American History.
Explore controversies from American history.
A great online encyclopedia database for background and introductory research.
A curated collection of resources about US history.
Curated content about and related to thousands of individuals from history and today.
Daily Life Through American History in Primary Documents by 
The American Slave by
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Explores the history between 1860 and 1876, about the social, political and economic impacts of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Historical context and primary sources related to themes from The Life of Frederick Douglass, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ABC-CLIO
The book profiles key American literature related to the war, both on and off the battlefield, including Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, Ambrose Bierce's "Chickamauga," Louisa May Alcott's Hospital Sketches, the Civil War poems of Walt Whitman and Herman Melville, and Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." This book serves to demonstrate how profoundly the actions on the Civil War battlefield shaped American politics, society, and the arts.
This set provides an overview of the history of racial and ethnic relations in America, from pre-contact to the present. It contextualizes the experiences and contributions of minorities within American politics, society, and culture; includes all people and ethnic groups that experienced minority status.
Examines the relationship between the media, propaganda, and the military since before the American Revolution through today. Includes a chapter about the Civil War.
ABC-CLIO ebook. History of Revolts and Rebellions in America. Volume 2 includes the time period around the Civil War.
This reference work examines significant social movements in American history, covering each movement’s goals, tactics, and effects, as well as its successes and failures.
Explore the history of American workers from colonial times through the present day. There are 2 chapters about slavery or the time period around the Civil War. Facts on File (Infobase)
Infobase ebook about the history of poverty in America. This book includes information about the time period around the Civil War.
This encyclopedia is a unique collection of entries covering the arrival, adaptation, and integration of immigrants into American culture from the 1500s to 2010. ABC-CLIO
This book explores immigrant journeys to America, the immigrant experience (especially when there are culture clashes, along with contributions and the battles fought to gain acceptance.
ABC-CLIO ebook about the history of the American economy.
This two-volume set provides a chronological view of the foreign policy/national security doctrines of key American presidents from Washington to Obama.
This book provides an analytical guide to the modern political campaign, chronologically covering key federal, state, and local campaign laws, election commission rules, and the court decisions interpreting them. Through 2010.
