Explore Research Guides and the History Reference Source as a jumping off point for brainstorming & to begin to build a working knowledge on your topic. 

History Reference Source

US History 

1878 - 1913: Rise of Industrial America

20th Century  

 21st Century 

Pingree Super Search Research Starters 

Research Starters are a great place to build a working knowledge on your research topic. Explore a selection below and use the following to search for Salem Press Encyclopedia Articles in Pingree Super Search:

Keywords AND SO salem press encyclopedia

American Indian Boarding Schools

Atomic Bomb (Manhattan Project)

Chinese Exclusion Act 

Mexican deportations of 1931

Prohibition

Vietnam War

Civil Rights Movement

Emancipation Proclamation

Great Depression

Title IX

United States in the 1920s

United States in the 1930s

United States in the 1940s

Pingree Super Search is our search tool for our collection of Academic Databases.

Academic Databases, such as EBSCO, JSTOR, and Gale, are organized and searchable online platforms that provide access to journals, articles, ebooks, primary sources, and data sets. Authority/credentials are guaranteed. Most articles are scholarly and peer-reviewed.

See tips for using the Pingree Super Search here. 

There are several ways to find books:

Books in the Library Learning Commons Collection

Browse the Library Collection here. Library name is Pingree and no password is required. 

Search for eBooks via the Pingree Super Search

Access dozens of eBooks via the Pingree Super Search by clicking eBooks under "Source Type." 

Search for eBooks via Sora

Use your Pingree account to search for books on Sora. You can also add 'Hamilton-Wenham Public Library' for more search power. 

Project Gutenberg & Internet Archives

For older books, you can check Project Gutenberg & Internet Archives for access to free eBooks.  

Interlibrary Loan

Ms. Fame can help you request books from external libraries via an interlibrary loan. 

What is a Primary Source?

Primary sources are the foundational building blocks of historical research. A primary source is original evidence created during the historical period you are studying or produced by an individual directly connected to the events.

Depending on your topic, primary sources can take many forms:

• Written Documents: Letters, diaries, speeches, memoirs, government documents, court decisions, and organizational records.

• Media & Publications: Newspapers, magazines, advertisements, and contemporary reports or statistics.

• Visual & Audio Materials: Photographs, political cartoons, oral histories/interviews, and film, radio, or television broadcasts.

View this page for Primary Source Resources and curated collections from libraries, universities, and digital archives. 

• Unable to find relevant sources → try new keywords 

• Only summary / abstract is available → Email citation to Ms. Fame

• Access - for some databases you need to be on campus & logged in to your Pingree Google Account