Menlo School Library: Social movements: Resources

Biographical Resources

Useful Databases:

American History (ABC-Clio)
Start with "Reference Articles" for an overview on your activist's life. You will also find great images and other primary sources here.
Britannica Academic
This database provides solid background articles on historical figures and social movements.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias
Provides thorough academic articles on various historical figures along with the issues of their time.

Useful Websites:

Library of Congress

Contains a variety of web resources on U.S. figures and events. For example, see this resource page they have on Harriet Tubman.

National Archives

Has a variety of overview articles and primary sources regarding various U.S. figures and events.

Books:

While we don't have every biography available, you can check our catalog to see if you can find a book about your chosen activist. Below are a few examples of what we have.

Harriet Tubman and the Fight for Freedom by Lois Horton
Combining biography with the larger history of slavery, the antislavery movement, the Underground Railroad, the increasing sectionalism of the pre-Civil War era, as well as the war and post-war Reconstruction.
The Confessions of Nat Turner by Kenneth S. Greenberg (Editor)
Careful study of the Nat Turner slave rebellion of 1831 reveals much about master, slaves, and the relationship between them in the antebellum South.
Korematsu V. United States by Susan Dudley Gold
This deep-diving volume describes the historical context of the Korematsu versus United States Supreme Court Case, detailing the claims made by both sides and the outcome.
The Concise History of Woman Suffrage by Mary Jo Buhle (Editor)
The volume contains the work of many reform agitators, among them Angelina Grimké, Lucy Stone, Carrie Chapman Catt, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anna Howard Shaw, Jane Addams, Sojourner Truth, and Victoria Woodhull, as well as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Ida Husted Harper.

Social Movements: History

Useful Databases:

American History (ABC-Clio)
- Why search here?
  This is a good place to begin your research and learn about your topic.
- What’s included?
  Primary source documents and tertiary source information related to the history of the United States.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias
- Why search here?
  Find long-form reference articles, as well as secondary sources on a wide variety of topics.
- What’s included?
  Signed, peer-reviewed, topic-specific articles from 25 individual encyclopedias.
Black Freedom Struggle in the United States (ProQuest)
- Why search here?
  Look here for a wide set of primary sources related to critical people and events in African American history.
- What's included?
  Over 3,000 primary source documents focused on six different eras/phases of Black Freedom ranging from the 1790s to 2000s.

Useful Websites:

Social Movements: Today

Useful Databases:

Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society (ABC-Clio)
- Why search here?
  This is a good source of information on a variety of controversial social topics.
- What’s included?
  Reference articles, biographies, and many primary source documents.
Global Issues in Context (Gale)
- Why search here?
  This is an excellent database for finding information about issues affecting the world at large.
- What’s included?
  Tertiary, secondary and primary source materials, statics, and viewpoint essays. Topics include a wide variety of environmental and social issues.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias
- Why search here?
  Find long-form reference articles, as well as secondary sources on a wide variety of topics.
- What’s included?
  Signed, peer-reviewed, topic-specific articles from 25 individual encyclopedias.

Useful Websites: