Research Guides: Bala Cynwyd Middle School: Researching Leaders in History: Finding Background Information

Finding Background Information

Helen Keller graduating from Radcliffe College in 1904 (Wikimedia Commons)

Toussaint L'Ouverture French print,1802 (Wikimedia Commons)

Background Resources on People's Lives

The following sources provide overviews of people's lives who have had a large impact on history. The articles are a quick way to get background information and to identify key issues which you will want to explore further. When using an article in an encyclopedia, check the bibliography for further reading at the end of the article. It will list books, journal articles, and frequently, Web resources considered to be the most up-to-date and reliable.

American National Biography
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** Offers portraits of more than 18,000 men and women, from all eras and walks of life, whose lives have shaped the nation.

Dictionary of African Biography
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A comprehensive overview of the lives of the men and women who shaped Africa's history ... Subjects are drawn from all walks of life.

Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online (DLB)
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Provides the full text of thousands of biographical and critical essays on important authors from all eras and regions.

Encyclopaedia Judaica
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Includes more than 21,000 entries on Jewish life, culture, history, and religion, written by Israeli, American and European subject specialists. See the article on Rabin.
Encyclopedia of Latin American history and culture
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Provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of Latin American history and culture from prehistoric times to the present.
Europe 1789 to 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire
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Presents over 800 articles on Europe from the French Revolution to the eve of World War I. See in particular the article about Napoleon.
Europe since 1914
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This encyclopedia makes 920 articles available on various aspects of European history. See in particular the article on Lenin.

Gale Biography in Context
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** Provides biographies on over 325,000 people from throughout history. Many entries also include links to news articles, recordings of speeches, images, and websites.

Oxford African American Studies Center
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Includes articles, primary sources, and images about African Americans.

Oxford Classical Dictionary
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This is a major source on Greek and Roman culture. See in particular the articles about Alexander the Great, Caesar and Nero.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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** Contains brief biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles, from the earliest times to the present. Writers tease out social history themes that relate to current issues.

Contact

Margaret Schaus

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Subjects: Cities, Classics, Latin American & Iberian Studies, Writing Program