The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life in America by
Organized by time period as spelled out in the National Standards for U.S. History, these four volumes effectively analyze the diverse whole of the American experience, examining the domestic, economic, intellectual, material, political, recreational, and religious life of the American people between 1763 and 2005.
Don't forget that these databases contain primary AND secondary sources, so you have to determine if the information is given from the original source (e.g. I saw the bank robbery! = primary), or it's being presented by someone who gathered the information from someone else (e.g. they saw the bank robbery! = secondary)
It's sometimes hard to tell -- in which case, you can ask us (your Norco College Librarians) or your professor for more help.
Try combining a primary source type (such as speech, correspondence, letter, diary) with the topic you are looking for example: "American civil war speeches" or "gold rush diaries"
You should be able to search for your topic in three words or less. Less is more!
Be creative: try different words that describe the same thing. Perhaps find one source and look for phrases or terms that may be different than what you originally thought of -- write them down and search for those!
If you're still having problems finding what you're looking for, contact us or stop by the reference desk -- We are happy to help!
Chat with a Librarian 24/7
Search Our FAQ