readysetresearch: American Revolution: Start Here! POWER Library Databases--Great Websites--Primary Sources

All Topic American Revolutionary War Websites & Primary Sources

The American Revolution
An ever-evolving online textbook on all aspects of the American Revolution.
American Revolution - Historical Links
A list of links/resources covering a wide variety of American Revolution topics.
American Revolution - Scholars' Showcase
Tons of links to scholarly books and essays on the American Revolution.
American Revolution History
From History.com. Lots of great information on the American Revolution including video.
George Washington Digital Encyclopedia
From the George Washington Presidential Library. Lots of excellent information on terms, battles, and people from the American Revolution.
Journal of the American Revolution
The leading source of knowledge about the American Revolution and Founding. Appealing to scholars and enthusiasts alike, it features meticulous, groundbreaking research and well-written narratives from scores of expert writers.
Military & Intelligence Resources
Scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of the past and current state of military affairs. Key areas include governmental policies, socio-economic effects of war, structure of the armed forces, and more.
Myths of the American Revolution
A noted historian debunks the conventional wisdom about America’s War of Independence.
A People's History of the American Revolution
From Howard Zinn's critical history of the American Revolution against British rule and its impact on ordinary people.
This Engraved Infographic of the Revolutionary War Is From 1871
This engraved infographic from 1871 shows the major events of the Revolutionary War, and some beautiful subtle additions.
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Schultz, Colin. “This Engraved Infographic of the Revolutionary War Is From 1871.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 19 Sept. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-engraved-infographic-of-the-revolutionary-war-is-from-1871-9572484/.
Was the American Revolution Inevitable?
In 1775, war broke out between the British and the American colonists. By 1776, the colonists had declared themselves independent and in 1783, following a prolonged and bloody war, Britain was forced to recognise the independence of the United States. Was American independence inevitable?
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Cogliano, Francis D. “Was the American Revolution Inevitable?” BBC, BBC, 17 Feb. 2011, www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/american_revolution_01.shtml.

Databases Using Your PowerLibrary Card

Research your topic with these Pennsylvania PowerLibrary databases & your E-Card to find scholarly, authoritative, and accurate resources.

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
Features select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. By centering on the experiences and perspectives of African Americans, it is hoped that this collection imbues the study of Black history with a deeper understanding of the humanity of people who have pursued the quest for freedom, and the significance of movements like Black Lives Matter
US History Collection This link opens in a new window Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers. Updated daily, this library resource offers balanced coverage of events in U.S. history and scholarly work being established in the field.
Middle School - In Context This link opens in a new window Made specifically for middle schoolers, this resource combines reference content with age-appropriate videos, newspapers, magazines, primary sources, and much more.
Gale OneFile: High School Edition This link opens in a new window
Secondary school students will have access to age-appropriate content from magazines, journals, newspapers, reference books, and engaging multi-media covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political science, sports, and environmental studies
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Explore encyclopedias and specialized reference sources on a variety of topics from history, government, environment, math, and more!
EBSCO eBooks This link opens in a new window Select from over 16,000 eBooks from the world's leading publishers across all major subject areas. Perform full-text searches of a single eBook, search thousands of volumes simultaneously, browse topic categories, or read eBooks directly online.
Military and Intelligence Database This link opens in a new window Scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of the past and present military affairs...such as, governmental policies, the socioeconomic effects of war, the structure of the armed forces, and more.
Diversity Studies Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that explore cultural differences, contributions, and influences in the global community. The database is a must-have for social science, history and liberal arts coursework.
World History Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers. The database offers balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field.

Primary Sources

American Revolution and Its Era
Maps and Charts of North America and the West Indies, 1750 to 1789
Documents of the American Revolutionary Period, 1774-1776
Collection of thousands of pamphlets, booklets, and newspaper articles pertaining to the "Origin, Settlement, and Progress of the Colonies in North America" from the Revolutionary Era.
A Guide to the American Revolution
The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with the American Revolution, including manuscripts, broadsides, government documents, books, and maps.
Making the Revolution: America, 1763-1791
Loads of primary sources/documents pertaining to America's war for independence, from rebellion to the ratification of the constitution.
Papers of the War Department, 1784-1800
Fire destroyed the War Department office in 1800. For decades historians believed that its files, and the window they provide into the early federal government, had been lost forever. This collection unites copies of the lost files in a digital archive that reconstitutes this invaluable historical resource.
Spy Letters of the American Revolution
Great resource that explores the role of spies during the American Revolution. Includes letters, methods, routes, and more. Highly recommend!
Yale's Avalon Project - 18th Century Documents
Contains many important documents from the Revolutionary War Era including state constitutions, passed acts, resolutions, and more.
Library of Congress: Memory Collections is the Prints and Photographs Division

Search Tips & Strategies

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