This is a guide to researching the American Revolution in the M.S.U. Libraries from both the American and British perspectives, but is not heavy into the military dimension. For that, go to the "military science" section of our research guides.
It is possible to do a quick and dirty, one box keyword search of the contents of the MSU Libraries' web site, starting at the top left of the Libraries' home page. The results will be sorted into several categories to follow up on: articles from journals, books/media from our online catalog, databases, library research guides like this one, other. Watch a short video about it here. To do a more traditional online catalog search, read on.
Books and Media (online catalog) may be searched by author, title, author/title in combination, subjects, keyword, and call number. The best quality searches result from using the Library of Congress' subject headings, the complete scheme of which can be found by asking to look at several fat red books kept in Reference at Z 696... on the first floor titled Library of Congress' List of Subject Headings.
Useful subject headings for this topic include the following, but this is not a comprehensive list:
| American loyalists Boston tea party Canada--economic conditions--18th c. Canada--foreign relations Canada--history--1760- Canada--politics and government Great Britain--Colonies--administration Great Britain--Colonies--America Great Britain--Colonies--history--18th c. Great Britain--foreign relations Great Britain--history--18th c. Great Britain--history--George III, 1760-1820 Great Britain--politics and government--1760- Michigan history Minutemen (Militia) |
Ontario American Loyalists Ontario French Canadians Ontario frontier and pioneer life Ontario fur trade Ontario history United Empire loyalists United States--history--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 United States--politics and government, 1775-1783 United States--politics and government--Revolution United States--history--Revolution, 1775-1783 United States--history--Revolution, 1775-1783--British forces United States--history--Revolution, 1775-1783--causes United States--history--Revolution, 1775-1783--historiography United State--history--Revolution, 1775-1783--sources Upper Canada |
In addition, names of places where events occurred and names of famous people will be useful subject headings. For example: Valley Forge, Yorktown, Philadelphia. Farther along in this guide there is a list of significant people to research.
If you seek primary sources remember to watch for words in titles of works and in L.C. sub-headings indicative of these: sources, personal narratives, correspondence, journals, diaries, letters, addresses sermons etc., archives, farewell address, manuscripts, quotations, sermons, speeches addresses. This list of subject headings is not comprehensive.
