User Guides Subject Guides > Arts & Humanities United States in 1860

This is a guide to selected sources of information related to the history of the United States in 1860, available through the URI Libraries.

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Historical overview | Population demographics | Voting and elections | Economy and agriculture | Prominent historical figures | Civil War and the secession crisis | Periodical index and abstracts

Historical overview

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For additional information on the history of a state, conduct a SUBJECT search in the HELIN catalog using the proper name of the state; STATE NAME -- HISTORY; or, such terms as UNITED STATES -- HISTORY -- 1783 to 1865.

CCE Ref  E180 .A15 2000

URI Ref  E180 .A15 2000

Rasmussen, R. Kent, ed. The 50 States. 2000.

Profiles of each state include a timeline of notable events, and an article describing its exploration and settlement, steps to statehood, economic development, and more.

URI Ref  E169.1 .A471997

American Eras. 1997 - 1998.  8v.

Vol. 8, Westward Expansion 1800 - 1860.   Information on American art, business, communications, education, government, law, social trends, and more for the years indicated.

URI Ref  E468 S45 2006

Selcer, Richard F., Civil War America, 1850 to 1875. 2006.

Includes information on representatives, governors, and population of each state, as well as a chronology.

URI Ref  E180 .K4 1989

Kane, Joseph Nathan, et al, eds. Facts About The States. 1989.

Provides an historical overview of each state, including detailed timelines of political and cultural events from settlement to present day.

Ref  HA202 .H57 2006

Historical Statistics of the United States:   Earliest Times to the Present. 2006.

Authorized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, presents statistical information on early American economy, politics, demographics, and culture.  Essays provide a guide to the sources, and offer expert advice on the reliability of the data and the limits that might be placed on their interpretation.  Separate section on Confederate States of America.  See also Statistical Abstracts below.

http://www.uri.edu/library/web_resources/whum.html

Making of America.

Freely accessible database of primary documents in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction, compiled by the University of Michigan and Cornell University.

CCE Ref  HA202 .U5

URI Govt Pub Ref  HA202 .U5 

URI Ref Desk

Statistical Abstract of the United States. 1886-.  (Annual, previous volumes in Serial Stacks)

Statistical reference to U.S. economy, agriculture, government, demographics, and more. Published yearly from 1886 to present, with data extending back to the early 19th century.  See also:  Historical Statistics of the United States above.

URI Ref  JK2408 .U65 2004

Shearer, Benjamin J., ed. The Uniting States: The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United States. 2004. 3 vols.

Encyclopedic entries provide the history of each U.S. state from settlement to statehood, including an overview of territorial development, territorial capitals, state capitals, geography, and the origin of state names.

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/index.html

The Geostat Center Historical Census Data Browser.

Maintained by the University of Virginia Library, this resource provides retrospective population statistics as well as information on state education and literacy levels, economies, agricultures, and slave populations.

URI Ref  E185 .H543 1995

Smith, Jessie Carney, and Carrell Peterson Horton, eds. Historical Statistics of Black America. 1995.  2 v.

Statistical tables can be searched by subject or year of relevance, and include such topics as demographics, slavery population estimates by state, property holdings, information on education and literacy, and more.

http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html

Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housings Counts.

Compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, this government website provides access to the 1860 U.S. Census, as well as various reports and documents concerning state agricultures, economics, population estimates, and more.

For additional information regarding historical state voting laws or elections, conduct a SUBJECT  search in the HELIN Catalog using such terms as VOTING -- UNITED STATES -- HISTORY -- 19th CENTURY; or, SUFFERAGE -- UNITED STATES.

http://purl.access.gov/GPO/LP569614

URI Govt Pub Ref Y1.1/2: Serial 14902

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005, the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774 to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States from the First through the One Hundredth Congresses, March 1789 to January 3, 2005,  Inclusive.

Contains biographical information for members of United States Congress during the years indicated.  Entries typically include officials' birth and death dates, locations of burial, education and employment history, political offices and affiliations, and more.

URI Ref  JK1967 .C662 2001

Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Elections. 4th ed.  2001.  2 v.

Tables display the polling results of the United States Senate, House, President, and State Governors' elections from 1824-2000.

URI Ref  KF4501 .B76

Browne, Cynthia E., ed. State Constitutional Conventions: From Independence to the Completion of the Present Union, 1776-1959; a bibliography. 1973.

Annotated bibliography of documents concerning state constitutional conventions for the years indicated.  Introduction provides statistical information on state charter dates, founding dates, original political status, number of constitutions since inception, number of amendments, and more.

URI Ref  JK1967 .R87 2001

Rusk, Jerrold G. A Statistical History of the American Electorate. 2001.

Tables examine the accuracy, voting practices, and outcomes of U.S. elections from 1788 to 1999.  Includes a chapter on suffrage which details state voting requirements, arranged by year.

URI Ref  JK524 .I85 1997

Israel, Fred L. Student's Atlas of American Presidential Elections: 1789-1996. 1997.

Entries for each election contain political maps, tables displaying electoral and popular vote counts, and brief articles describing the election process and campaign strategies of the candidates.

URI Ref  JK2447 .D83 2003

Dubin, Michael J. United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results By State and County. 2003.

Supplies election dates, terms and limitations, candidate party affiliations, and the number and percent of the votes received by each candidate.

URI Ref  JK524 .D778

Dubin, Michael J. United States Presidential Elections, 1788-1860:  Official Results by County and State. 2002.

Statistical reference to presidential election returns for both state and county during the years indicated.

For additional information, conduct a SUBJECT search in the HELIN catalog for terms such as: INDUSTRIES -- UNITED STATES -- HISTORIES; UNITED STATES ECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO 1865; or, AGRICULTURE -- UNITED STATES -- HISTORY.  Information on state economic and agricultural activity can also be accessed through the 1860 Census of Population and Housing.

URI Ref  Z7165 .U5 O77

Orsagh, Thomas, ed. Economic History of the United States Prior to 1860: An Annotated Bibliography. 1975.

Bibliography of books, government documents, articles and dissertations on American economy prior to 1860. Entries are arranged by subject, and indexes to both author and subject are provided.

CCE Ref  HC103 .E52

URI Ref  HC103 .E52

Porter, Glen, ed. Encyclopedia of American Economic History. 1980.  3 v.

Includes information on the development of American economy from the country's inception through the late 20th century. A cumulative index by subject is included in the third volume.

URI Ref  HC103 .H19 1990

Whitten, David O., ed. Handbook of American Business History.  1990.  3 v.

A series of essays on specific industries and products provides an historical overview of business trends and practices in the United States.

To find additional information, conduct a SUBJECT search in the HELIN catalog using such terms as STATE NAME -- BIOGRAPHY; UNITED STATES -- BIOGRAPHY, or the proper name of an historical figure.  For example:   Lincoln, Abraham.

URI Ref  E176 .C73 1997

Concise Dictionary of American Biography.   5th ed.  1997.  2 v.

Contains basic biographical information for approximately 19,000 Americans who died before 1940. Provides indexes to historical figures by occupation and location of birth.

URI Ref  E176 .N28

The National Cyclopedia of American Biography.   1891 - 1984.  62 v.

Encyclopedia of American biography. Provides a cumulative index to entries by personal name, subject (including U.S. state names), and family ancestry.

URI Ref  E176 .N89 1988

Hubbard, Linda S., ed.  Notable Americans: What They Did, from 1620 to the Present.  4th ed.  1988.

Listing of notable figures in American government, military, business, religion, education, and more, organized by occupation. Sections are frequently subdivided by state and time period. A series of indexes allow searching by achievements and awards, personal name, and organizational affiliation.

URI Ref  E176 .W64

Who Was Who In America Historical Volume, 1607-1896 and v. 1 (1897/1942).

Biographical dictionary of 13,300 American lives. Includes statistical tables displaying members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government during the years indicated, as well as historical population figures of major U.S. cities and a chronology of notable historical events.

To find additional information, conduct a SUBJECT search in the HELIN catalog using terms such as SECESSION, UNITED STATES -- POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT -- 1857 - 1861; or, UNITED STATES -- HISTORY -- CIVIL WAR, 1861 - 1865 -- CAUSES.

URI Ref  E169.1 .A471979 1997

American Eras.  1997 - 1998.  8 v.

Volume 5, Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850 - 1877. Includes information on American arts, business, communications, education, government, law, social trends, and more for the years indicated.

URI Ref  E468 .E53 2000

Heidler, David S.and Jeanne T. Heidler.   Encyclopedia of the American Civil War:  A Political, Social, and Military History.  2000. 5 v.

Contains more than 1600 articles covering, "every conceivable subject and significant person connected with the causes, course, and consequence of the war." Entries for each U.S. state provide information on critical battles, dates of secession, political affiliation before the war, and more.

URI Ref  E174 .E53 2003

Encyclopedia of American History. 2003. 11 v.

General encyclopedia of American history. Volume 5 contains entries related to the American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1856-1869. An entry for Secession includes a map indicating the date of each state's secession.

URI Ref  Z1236 .F34

Fehrenbacher, Don E, compiler. Manifest Destiny and the Coming of the Civil War, 1840-1861. 1970.

Bibliography of materials on the Westward Expansion, Slavery, the Sectional Conflict, and additional topics regarding American economy, politics, and society from 1840-1861.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Academic Search Premier.

Provides full-text access to more than 3,180 magazines, journals, and newspaper covering a range of topics, including history. Updated daily. Coverage varies by publication, but generally covers from the 1990s to present.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

America: History and Life (ABC-CLIO).

Indexing and abstracting of journal articles and other materials on the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.  1964-. Updated monthly.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

New York Times Article Archive.

Index to publications in the New York Times from 1851 to present day by keyword, author, or headline. Includes articles, advertisements, and listings through 1995; articles only after 1995. Full content of the New York Times is available from 1857 to present in microfilm at URI Library's Kingston campus.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Project Muse.

Provides the full text of more than 220 journal titles from 37 scholarly publishers covering a range of academic fields, including history.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Reader’s Guide Retrospective, 1890-1982.

Access nearly 100 years of cultural history with references to over 3 million articles that appeared in 373 leading U.S. magazines as far back as 1890.

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If If you need further assistance, please stop by the Reference Desk or call (401) 874-2653.

M. Drake, 4/05; Rev. M.J. Keefe, 8/06; Rev. A. Izenstark, 4/08.