Skip to Main Content

HIS 220: Colonial America

Professor Bentz, Fall 2015.

Where Should I Begin?

Good background information may be found in reference sources. 

Reference sources (dictionaries, encyclopedias, manuals, guides) provide the following types of information:

  • Reliable background information;
  • Articles written by subject experts;
  • Dates, timelines, events, people, definitions related to your topic;
  • Statistics;
  • A list of further readings, normally found at the end of encyclopedia articles.  Use these references as springboards for further research.

Find additional reference sources by searching Bishop Library's Catalog.  Click on Advanced Search, choose Type, choose Reference.

Image Source: This political cartoon (attributed to Benjamin Franklin) originally appeared during the French and Indian War, but was recycled to encourage the American colonies to unite against British rule. From The Pennsylvania Gazette, 9 May 1754. Public domain.  Library of Congress.