LibGuides: American Revolution: Start Here! Concordian Databases; Mega 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.

more... less...

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?

more... less...

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.

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.

Highly Recommended | Primary Source | Multimedia

Infographic | Digital Maine Library | College Level

World Book Encyclopedia

Key Databases for The American Revolution

Britannica School
JSTOR

Set up your own account. See the librarian!
JSTOR - Open Access Books
Free resource. More than 950 open access books!
DPLA: Digital Public Library of America
Free resource. Explore 16,501,850 items from libraries, archives, and museums
History & Politics Out Loud - Famous Speeches
See Declaration of Independence
Library of Congress
Free resource
National Archives (USA)
Free resource

Search Tips & Strategies

Search tips and strategies:

The keywords you use can have a huge impact on the results of your search. When you see this
Dig deeper and search the Concordian Databases for names, battles, events!
Every word counts! Avoid searching sentences or entire questions.

You can identify keywords by scanning:

Your research questions
Articles found from background research
Tables of Contents, Indexes, & Bibliographies found at the end of books and articles

If you are still struggling:

Use a thesaurus to identify synonyms.
Find pictures related to your topic, then describe them.
Brainstorm keywords with a librarian, your instructor, or a friend.