Recommended Websites: History & Social Sciences
note: Click on topic below name or
link to proceed to site
Best of History Web Sites -
http://www.besthistorysites.net
Best of History Web Sites is an award-winning portal that
contains annotated links to over 1000 history web sites as well links to
hundreds of quality K-12 history lesson plans, history teacher guides, history
activities, history games, history quizzes, and more.
AFRICAN STUDIES
The American Museum Congo Expedition - 1909-1914 - http://diglib1.amnh.org
Shortly following the publication of Joseph Conrad's Heart
of Darkness in 1909, Herbert Lang and James Chapin sailed to the Central
African Congo River basin to explore the vast mysterious frontier that
was so unknown. Their study was the first of this area and they returned
with numerous notes and photographs. This site, published by the American
Museum of Natural History, has their notes, articles written by Lang and
Chapin after the expedition, interactive maps, photographs, illustrations
and more.
TransAfrica Forum - http://www.transafricaforum.org
The TransAfrica Forum collects, analyzes and disseminates information
about Africa and the Caribbean for the discussion of US foreign policy towards
Africa.
University of Penn African Studies Center -
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/
University of Pennsylvania offers their African Studies curriculum online here;
they also provide links to sites for each African nation.
Country-Specific page:
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Home_Page/Country.html
Africa Web Links page:
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Home_Page/WWW_Links.html
ANCIENT HISTORY
Virtual Religion Index - http://virtualreligion.net/vri
In addition to religion, this database has links dealing with culture, history, and daily life of many ancient cultures,
including Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors -
http://www.roman-emperors.org
Includes Roman emperors from B.C.E. to 1453 with biographies, significant battles and maps of the
changing empire.
ASIAN STUDIES
AskAsia - http://www.askasia.org
A site dedicated to increasing awareness about Asia in order to build a better relationship between the
United States and Asia. Ask Asia
is a part of the Asia Society, founded by John D. Rockefeller III. The
information under "Students" on the right side of the page
has pictures and readings about specific topics. The topics on the left
are all informative and useful. Most of the information
is country specific so as not to melt Asia into one topic.
Beauty and Darkness: Cambodia, the Odyssey of the Khmer People -
http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/
Centers on the Khmer Rouge government, its effect on the Cambodian
people, and the Cambodian Revolution. Includes essays, articles and
oral histories of survivors of the government inflicted terror.
The Mongols in World History -
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/monguls/
Dedicated to the history of the Mongols in China, this site offers biographies of major
figures in Mongol history, artwork, major events, timelines and more. Amazing resources
gathered together by Columbia University.
The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War, and Faith -
http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/silkroad/main.html
This online exhibit created by the British Library explores the Silk Road and its purpose,
history, the people involved and the towns changed by its presence. Concentrating on four
major themes, printing, languages, Buddhas and bodhisattvas, recreation and astronomy,
this visually grounded site offers insight into the lives of the people who traveled these
roads and also the people who excavated them.
Virtual Religion Index - http://religion.rutgers.edu/vri
This multi-faceted site will be helpful to those seeking information
on religious and cultural beliefs of Asia. Sites dealing with Taoism,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucius, and Shinto can be accessed here.
EUROPEAN HISTORY
The British Monarchy - http://www.royal.gov.uk
Everything you wanted (or needed) to know about the British
Monarchy and its history. See "Monarchy through the Ages" for a complete
list of kings and queens since 802 and "Monarchy Today" for the current state
of the monarchy.
Knights Templar and the Middle Ages -
http://www.veling.nl/anne/templars/#Knights
A collection of sources that explain the origin, duty and demise of the Knights
Templar. Information is also available about the First Crusade, the Teutonic
Knights, and the Middle Ages in general. All of the sources are credited with the
author and title – see the Little Brown Handbook for the correct citation of these
pages.
ORB: Online Reference Book For Medieval Studies - http://www.the-orb.net/
A great starting point for researching medieval times. There are many dead ends, but don't give up and you will find useful
material.
The Ottomans -
http://www.theottomans.org/english/index.asp
The Ottoman Empire thrived from the late thirteenth century until 1923 – expanding to
include various diverse territories around the Mediterranean Sea. Including history, war,
rulers, important figures, the arts, a glossary, maps, outside links, and more, this site
is essential if studying the history of the Ottoman Empire.
GENERAL TOPICS
COUNTRY INFORMATION
NEWS
NUMBERS NUMBERS NUMBERS
PRIMARY SOURCES
- COUNTRY INFORMATION
CIA World Factbook -
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Includes up-to-date information gathered by the CIA about every country
in the world. This site is the definitive source for information about nations,
including population, government, history, transportation, social information,
mortality rates, anything you would ever want to know.
Executive Planet Business Etiquette and Culture -
http://www.executiveplanet.com/
A list of thirty-two countries and their social and business
customs including negotiations, gift-giving, entertaining, and more.
NationMaster -
http://www.nationmaster.com
NationMaster borrows some of their information from the CIA World Factbook,
but also has additional information that is very pertinent and useful.
NationMaster allows the user to compare nations graphically and to choose
the manner in which to do so, whether it be maps, charts, or graphs. Very
easy to use.
Rulers - http://www.rulers.org
Want to know who ruled Argentina in 1845? When did Sierra
Leone become a republic? For a quick reference to facts about countries
all over the world, check out Rulers - covering from 1700 to present.
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CyberNewseum - http://www.newseum.org/cybernewseum/
An interactive museum that focuses on news: Pulitzer Prize
winners, newsworthy stories, historical analyses, etc. This is a great
source to find award-winning photographs.
The Legacy Project -
http://www.legacy-project.org/
Combines the history with the arts to present a resource for
researching war and humanity tragedies around the world. The Legacy Project
reaches past Western culture, touching crimes against humans around the
world. This site offers links to articles in Encarta as well as filmographies
and artwork explications.
Live Without Hate -
http://www.cincinnati.com/nie/live_wo_hate/
Designed by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Live Without Hate is a site dedicated
to educating people about the existence of hate, the definition of hate crimes, and
the importance of diversity. In addition to informing, the creators offer several
exercises to measure diversity in the media as well as further reading, websites,
recommended books and films.
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CensusScope -
http://www.censusscope.org/
This site offers an easier alternative to view census information
for 2000. There are a number of color coded maps, charts, graphs, and tables
that list all sorts of demographic information by state.
US Census Bureau: 2001 Statistical Abstract of the United States -
http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/01statab/stat-ab01.html
This new report was released on January 22, 2002 by the U.S.
Census Bureau. The census report includes population, vital statistics,
health information, transportation figures, etc. You will need Adobe Acrobat
to read the reports.
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History and Politics Out Loud -
http://www.hpol.org
A collection of audio files and transcripts of major political
speeches throughout US History. The bulk of the speeches are from the
sixties, but other decades are also available. Along with listening to
the speech, HPOL also offers a running transcript so that you can read
along with the recording.
Eyewitness - http://www.ibiscom.com/
A collection of voice recordings, newscasts, interviews, pictures,
and writings that all support the Eyewitness theme: "History through the
eyes of those who lived it." Coverage spans from the ancient world to the
present day, with a description accompanying each piece of history. See
the vertical bar on the left side for the collections.
MIDDLE EAST
Battle for the Holy Land -
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/holy/
PBS's Frontline goes to Israel and Palestine to interview people
connected with the Holy War between the two countries rather than looking
at it from afar. This site includes interviews with leaders, video clips,
a current timeline of events, articles reflecting on the conflict, and an
arena for discussion. The information is timely and non-Western in its
origin - giving the reader a better look at the inside struggles.
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs -
http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/home.asp
Maintained by the Israel Ministry of Foreign affairs, this
site contains current news, articles from Israeli publications, law, government,
personalities, and art and culture.
Mid East Web Maps -
http://www.mideastweb.org/maps.htm
Offers historical and present day maps along with historical information
about each country represented. Includes information on 25 countries in
the Mid East.
US HISTORY
GENERAL
GOVERNMENT
PRIMARY SOURCES
GENDER STUDIES
PRE-1865
CIVIL WAR
POST-1865
WORLD WARS
MODERN HISTORY
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Index of Resources for Historians -http://www.gzg.fn.bw.schule.de/faecher/links/ressourc.htm
Here you will find over 100 categories and links to 2400 sites related to specific nations and historical eras.
The American Fact Finder - http://factfinder.census.gov
Browse population and housing demographics from the 2000 census and the 1990 census (the site is currently updating
all information to the 2000 census) as well as industry and economic information from 1997. One can search by state,
county, county subdivision or place.
National Association of Counties -
http://www.naco.org/
The United States has 3,066 counties and the NAOC collects current pertinent information on each county
including population, elected officials, square miles, racial distribution, etc. The NAOC makes the data
available and searchable.
They Made America -
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/index.html
Created by PBS and the American Experience series, this site focuses on the 64 people who
made America what it is today. Divided into categories Democratizers, Gamblers,
Revolutionaries, and Pioneers, each person is included on a timeline and has a short bio
and explanation of what they have done to create a entrepreneurial spirit. From Henry
Ford to Estee Lauder, Samuel Colt to Levi Strauss, these men and women have created America
as we know it.
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The Living Room Candidate: A History of Presidential Campaign Commercials,
1952-2000 – http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/index.php
Presented by the American Museum of the Moving Image, presidential elections have taken on
a new kind of campaign since the addition of the television in our living rooms. Just over
the past fifty years, the influence of television presence has been amazing. Check out
this site for election overviews, candidate advertisements, and electoral maps. Amazing
and fun at the same time.
National Archives and Records Administration - http://www.nara.gov
The Archives home page has connections to many government agencies, presidential libraries, and of course the U.S.
archives.
The Presidents of the United States -
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/
Look here for biographical information about all of our presidents, as well as information
on the First Ladies, quiz questions, a tour of the White House and a myriad of facts
surrounding the presidency.
U.S. Congress on the Internet - http://thomas.loc.gov
The latest information on pending legislation is found here. There is also general information on the legislative
process and an index of all federal laws passed since 1973.
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AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History -
http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/
A collection of historical documents and primary sources that are divided up into
time periods ranging from the 15th Century until "the 2000's".
A Chronology of US Historical Documents –
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist
Looking for Carter’s first Inaugural Address? Can’t remember what the Magna Carta says?
Check here – documents from today back to the pre-Colonial days.
DOUGLASS: Archives of American Public Address - douglassarchives.org/
About one hundred speeches collected by Northwestern University's School of Speech.
Search by speaker, title, chronology or issue.
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America Women's History: A Research Guide -
http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Ekmiddlet/history/women.html
Provides citations to both print and electronic sources - books, articles, dissertations,
and primary sources. The subject list is extensive and the source lists are organized by format.
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California Gold Rush - http://www.goldrush1849.com
For primary sources, maps, causes and effects and more information related to the
great 1849 California gold rush go to the this informative site.
Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery -
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia
A guide to the Africans' history in America that spans from 1450 to 1865 with narratives,
biographies, bibliographies, historical documents, images and primary source materials.
Black Ships and Samurai -
http://www.blackshipsandsamurai.com/
In 1853, two American ships arrived in Japan. Follow the journey through Japanese and
American artistic renderings of the landmark meeting of two completely foreign superpowers.
The core exhibit includes an illustrative journey with narrative from John H. Dower, a
professor at MIT. The interactive Black Ship Scroll is an amazing artistic masterpiece –
originally 30 feet long.
Founding Father's Info Guide -
http://www.foundingfathers.info
Packed with information about the founding fathers, colonies, portraits, current articles
and essays, the FFIG is constantly updated with recently published works and information.
The Federalist Papers are online in their entirety, and a comprehensive history of the
United States is also included. Organization is clear and the site is very user-friendly.
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Brooklyn in the Civil War -
http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/civilwar/
Compiled by the Brooklyn Public Library, this collection of primary documents allows the
resarcher to see how Brooklyn was involved in the Civil War and how that involvement shaped
the city and the people. See a timeline, interactive map, primary source documents scanned
for accurate depiction – all of these facets come together to create a full picture of
Brooklyn during the Civil War.
A Civil War Soldier in the Wild Cat Regiment -
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/tcrhtml/tcrhome.html
The American Memory Project has collected the papers of Captain Tilton C. Reynolds for
this amazing indexed project. Reynolds was a part of the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania
volunteers and his collection of documents allows one to learn of the intricacies of
battle, traveling, fighting, etc. firsthand.
U.S. Civil War Center -
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/
This site claims to offer links to every web page that is dedicated to the Civil War. Beefy claim;
if it doesn't have them all, it comes close.
Valley of the Shadow -
http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vshadow2/
Letters, diaries, public records and a searchable database of pre-war newspapers make this
a great site for Civil War research.
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Documenting the American South -
http://docsouth.unc.edu/
This site has digitized close to 100 diaries, memoirs, narratives etc. from blacks
and whites in the 19th-century South.
The History of Jim Crow -
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm
The Jim Crow years were a bleak time in American history, and recent enough to read
current personal narratives of people who had experienced the turmoil. This website,
created by teachers, provides personal narratives, essays, photo collections, an
interactive map with state timelines, and lesson plans relating to the Jim Crow years.
Making of America -
http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/moa and
http://moa.umdl.umich.edu
Held on two servers, the University of Michigan and Cornell, this is a
digital library of primary sources, books and journals, that covers
scientific, sociological, psychological, religion, and technology from
the Antebellum period through the Reconstruction. Michigan concentrates
on education, psychology, history, technology, science, and sociology.
Cornell indexes general interest periodicals. The researcher can search
the site as a whole or individual publications as needed and documents
can be viewed as webpages, pfds, text, or thumbnails.
Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 1960
- http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/
While the current census results are always interesting, this site focuses on
historical census data. Between 1790 and 1960, the United States grew from 3.9
million to almost 275 million - and population is not the only variable that changed.
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After the Day of Infamy – The “Man-on-the-Street” interviews following
the attack on Pearl Harbor -
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afcphhtml/afcphhome.html
The day after Pearl Harbor, the assistant in charge of the Library of Congress Archive of
American Folk Song contacted his fieldworkers to conduct interviews with common people
concerning their reaction to the bombing and the war declared. This site has the audio
files where available, transcripts, an essay on the project itself, and biographies of the
interviewers.
Remembrance and Mourning: Literature of the Great War -
http://www.haverford.edu/engl/english354/greatwar/firstpage.html
Originally developed for a class at Haverford College, this site contains examples
of poetry, newspaper reports and personal accounts from WWI, as well as recruitment
posters, advertisements, and photographs of the damage of WWI.
World War II Resources -
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha
Includes primary sources pertaining to WWII from many nations - search by subject,
title, or by time period.
World War One.com –
http://www.firstworldwar.com
Find the social and technological results of WWI on this site: check out what happened on
a particular day, see the propaganda posters, photos and video footage, the history of
weapons, and more information on the particular battles. All of the sources used can be
seen on the “About this Site” link. Extremely thorough.
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The September 11th Digital Archive -
http://911digitalarchive.org
Filled with personal narratives, photographs, video footage, websites pertaining to 9/11
and other related information. This website is supported and maintained by the Alfred P.
Sloan Foundation as well as the American Social History Project of the City University of
New York Graduate Center and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.
Women of Our Time: Twentieth Century Photographs from the National Portrait Gallery
- http://www.npg.si.edu/cexh/woot/index.htm
The women that shaped the twentieth century range from social reformers to actresses to
politicians. Their portraits are collected here, shot in different poses, styles, and
with separate reasons, the Smithsonian takes this collection and supplements it with a few
biographies, explanations, and a lesson on the styles of photography.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Anatomy of a Refugee Camp - http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/refugeecamp/
Created by the Canadian Broadcasting Company, this interactive map offers the viewer an
inside view into the lives of refugees. Additional articles include blurbs on Doctors
without Borders, De-mining Mozambique, the Red Cross and the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees.
Modern Language Association Language Map -
http://www.mla.org/resources/census_main
Using Census data, the MLA has created an interactive map detailing the populations of
people speaking specific languages across the United States. You can look at the US as a
whole or specifically by region, narrow it down by language and look at the breakdowns of
language speakers.
Sumo: East and West -
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/sumoeastandwest/index.html
While historically a Japanese sport, and a way of live for the participants, Sumo wrestling
has been adopted and adapted by the US as a sport of prestige. As the Japanese purists
are trying to keep Sumo as close to their ideal as possible, international countries are
also embracing the sport and slowly they are attempting to bring it into the Olympics.
PBS takes a historical look at Sumo wrestling and compares that to a snapshot of Sumo today.
Please contact
Mr. Bell with any questions. Page last updated on December 8. 2006.
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