University Library at St. Cloud State University

HIST 681: Seminar in U.S. Reconstruction

Books
The Library's Books and More Search will help you find monographs as well as videos, government documents, and other research materials, in print or online format. Books related to U.S. History are located in the Basement West. Some related subject searches are:
 
Reconstruction (U.S. History, 1865-1877)
Slaves--Emancipation--United States
Freedmen
African American women--History

Primary sources can be located in print in the library by using the Books and More Advanced Search (MnPALS Plus) by combining keywords about your topic with these keywords:
  • personal narratives
  • diaries
  • letters
  • reminiscences
  • correspondence
  • sources
  • speeches
  • notebooks
  • anecdotes
  • interviews
  • oral histories.

WorldCat
Search for materials beyond SCSU, from thousands of libraries and institutions around the world. Click on the FindIt! button and sign in to and request items through Interlibrary Loan.
Journals and Newspapers

Journal databases

LibSearch
Searches multiple databases simultaneously to let you explore interdisciplinary results.
  • Ethnic NewsWatch
    Articles from over 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Provides in-depth coverage of a wide range of current and historical topics. Limit the Source Type to "Scholarly Journals" for peer-reviewed articles.
     
  • GenderWatch
    Articles on topics like sexuality, religion, societal roles, feminism, masculinity, eating disorders, day care, and the workplace that support LGBT studies, family studies, gender studies, and women's studies with a unique interdisciplinary approach. Click the check box to limit results to "Peer-reviewed" for scholarly articles.

America: History & Life
Search 2,000 scholarly journals on the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present


Primary documents and newspapers

American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
The gateway to the Library of Congress’s digitized American primary source materials including photographs, posters, maps, letters, diaries, sound recordings, films, books, pamphlets, and sheet music.  

Civil War: Antebellum to Reconstruction, 1843-1877
This collection of primary materials features more than 150 newspapers from all regions of the United States—plus approximately 50,000 government documents and 4,000 rare broadsides and pieces of ephemera. It provides unprecedented local and national coverage of American culture, politics and society from 1840 through 1877.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America's historic newspapers pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.

Freedmen's Bureau, 1865-1872
Information from the National Archives' African American Heritage collection.



Nineteenth Century US Newspapers
Full-text content and images from about 500 U.S. newspapers published during the 19th Century. Includes The Penny Press (Minneapolis) (1893-1896), The Evening Penny Press (1896-1896), and The St. Paul Daily News (1889-1894). 

African American Newspapers
Searchable database of approximately 270 U.S. newspapers from more than 35 states chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience. Includes eight Minnesota newspapers spanning the years 1869-1903.  Click on the "Places of Publication" tab to browse or search the Minnesota papers.


The full text of the Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1922).
Searching for Known Citations
If you need an item and have its citation information, follow these steps:
 
  1. Determine if your citation is for a book, article, conference proceeding, government publication, etc.
     
    • For monographs or book chapters: Search for the book title in Books and More Search (MnPALS Plus) or WorldCat
      • Cimbala, Paul A., and Randall M. Miller. The Freedmen's Bureau And Reconstruction : Reconsiderations. New York: Fordham University Press, 1999.
         
    • For articles: Search by journal or newspaper title using the Journal Titles search
      • Smith, J. D. (1980). More than slaves less then Freedmen: The "share wages" labor system during reconstruction. Civil War History, 26(3), 256-266.
         
    • For conference proceedings: Search by conference title and year in Books and More Search (MnPALS Plus) , WorldCat , or Google Scholar.
      • Fernald, Jody R. "Radical Reform In Public Sentiment: Lydia Dixon And The Dover, New Hampshire, Ladies' Antislavery Society." Dublin Seminar For New England Folklife Annual Proceedings 28.(2003): 92-101.
         
    • For dissertations: Search for author or dissertation title in Dissertation Abstracts - PQDT Open or Google. You may also try searching the website of the degree-granting institution (in this case, Northwestern University).
      • Bowman Lewis, Janaka. "Freedom Promised, Freedom Told: Black Women's Narratives of Emancipation and Reconstruction, 1861-1892." Diss. Northwestern U, 2009. Print.
         
    • For government publications: Search by title and date in Books and More Search (MnPALS Plus) or Google. Consult the Government Publications guide for more information.
      • Martin Kalbfleisch, Anthony Lausett Knapp. Select. House Committee on Emancipation. "Emancipation, Freedman's Affairs." (1864).
         
  2. Look for the FindIt! button or follow the links to full text
     
  3. If necessary, order items through interlibrary loan
Ask a Librarian

Reference Desk - Miller Center 1st Floor W
  • Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Sunday: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Phone: 320-308-4755
Email: askref@stcloudstate.edu
Schedule a consultation
Background Information
Encyclopedia of American Historical Documents
REF E173 .E54 2004 Check MnPALS Catalog for Location and Availability
Volume II covers the Civil War and Reconstruction periods. Includes selected laws, speeches, treaties, political party platforms, song lyrics, amendments to the U.S. Constitution, presidential statements, and court decisions.

Encyclopedia of The American Civil War: A Political, Social, And Military History
"An award-winning and highly recommended comprehensive set on the political, social, and military aspects of the American Civil War."
Films and Streaming Video
Films on Demand: Civil War and Reconstruction
Streaming video on topics related to the American Civil War and Reconstruction era.
Cite Your Sources
Citation Styles Old
Choose a citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian ...) and follow the guidelines for formatting your paper and references.
Subject Specialist
Picture: Melissa Prescott

Melissa Prescott
Professor, Diversity and Inclusion Librarian
MC 204E
(320) 308-4751
mkprescott@stcloudstate.edu


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