Reference+Book

= Reference Books =

** Appleby, Encyclopedia of Women in American History **
Annotation: This encyclopedia is helpful because it focuses on time periods so you can find information quickly if you know the era they lived in. The second volume is from 1820-1900 so you get a good view the active women in American History in the 19th century. This would include women involved in the abolitionist movement, women's rights movement, Civil War nurses, and authors. It not only covers specific women it also covers events, movements, and laws. Another helpful thing about this book is it has short essays that gives you an insightful look into the lives of the 19th Century.

** Campbell, Women Public Speakers In the United States. **
Annotation: This source is not as extensive in coverage as the other encyclopedias in the collection but it is a great reference tool for 19th century women. It gives good background information on the women it also talks about the work the women did more in depth then some of the other encyclopedias. It gives a good list of other sources to look into rather it be biographies, dissertations, speeches, or critical studies. Though the book doesn't cover as broad of list of women in other encyclopedias, so some obscure women might slip through the cracks the information it does give is thorough.

O'Dea,From Suffrage to Senate: America's Political Women.
Annotation: Like a typical encyclopedia list women and events alphabetically. It covers a wider range of women's history with modern and international women be listed so the articles are more like blurbs on the women's lives and events. So a basic start to research. But it does list a "see also" so you can find other articles on the same topic and a reference source so you can look further into the material.

Wetherford, A History of Women in the United States.


Annotation: This source is really good if you are looking for from a particular state, say you want to do a paper on a woman from your home state or you had to do a paper using primary sources so you wanted them to be local. This would be a good source to flip through. But more than just giving articles on women's lives it also gives a states general history when it comes to women in that state. Also at the end of each states listing you find a list of Prominent Sites. For Massachusetts it list the Boston Women's Heritage Trail, Emily Dickinson Homestead, Plymouth Plantation, and much more. But the articles on the women are kind of short so its just a starting off point.