Reference works are "[works] designed to be consulted when authoritative information is needed, rather than read cover to cover. Reference [works] often consist of a series of signed or unsigned "entries" listed alphabetically under headwords or headings, or in some other arrangement (classified, numeric, etc.). The category includes almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographical sources, catalogs, concordances, dictionaries, directories, discographies and filmographies, encyclopedias, glossaries, handbooks, indexes, manuals, research guides, union lists, yearbooks, etc., whether published commercially or as government documents." (source This link opens in a new window)
Reference works are particularly helpful when you're starting your research. Here are the library databases that contain the most helpful reference works for this assignment:
Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
To search, type the word antebellum into the search field and click on the magnifying glass icon.
To browse, click on the link named Era in the black banner near the top of the page. In the dropdown menu that appears, click on the link named 1801-1860: The Antebellum Era and Slave Economy.
On the left side of the search results page, click the check boxes labeled Available and Free (under the heading named Availability), then click the Update button. This will filter out all the results that are not full text.
Oxford Academic This link opens in a new window
To search, type the keyword antebellum into the search field and click on the magnifying glass icon.
On the left side of the search results page, click on the check box labeled All content I have access to (under the heading Availability). This will filter out all the results that are not full text.
Daily Life through History This link opens in a new window (Bloomsbury/ABC-CLIO)
To search, type the keyword antebellum into the search field and click on the magnifying glass icon.
Use the filters on the left side of the results page to narrow down your results.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library)
To search, type the keyword antebellum into the search field and click on the magnifying glass icon.
Use the filters on the right side of the results page to narrow down your results.
If you have any questions, please contact me This link opens in a new window. 😃