Social Studies: History, Geography & Government Resources

History | Geography | Government

History

National History Day Research Guides Selected resources to help you get started!

Databases

databasesLibrary databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. Start your research with these general databases, available from any Denver Public Library or from home with a Denver Public Library Card.

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U.S. History (Gale In Context) A complete overview of our nation’s past that covers the most-studied events, conflicts, political and cultural movements, and people.

World History (Gale In Context) From the ancient world to the present. A chronicle of the cultures and societies that have formed the history of the human race.

Explora Middle School Find information from magazines, newspapers and reference books on a variety of topics . Includes videos, primary sources, images and biographies.

Explora High School Look up topic overviews, magazine and academic journal articles, facts and primary sources for research papers, class projects or homework. Get information from trustworthy sources that you can cite in your papers. Designed with students and educators in mind.

New York Times Historical Backfile on ProQuest Read articles and see photos from the complete New York Times. Contains the full-text of the paper from 1851 to three years ago. Visit New York Times Current for coverage from 1980 to the present.

Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) Encyclopedias about the arts, biography, country studies, history, law, literature, religion, science, and social science. 

Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 Discover primary source magazine articles from 1890 to 1982. Use the Ask Us chat box on the left to request scans of the articles you find.

Black Freedom Struggle in the U.S. Primary source documents including historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Black Newspapers offers primary source material essential to the study of American history and Black culture, history, politics, and the arts. Each of the Historical Black Newspapers provides access to perspectives and information that was excluded or marginalized in mainstream sources. Examine major movements from the Harlem Renaissance to Civil Rights to everyday life.

History Reference Center Newspaper and magazine articles, historical documents, biographies, maps and photos. 

Religion & Philosophy Collection ​Full-text database for theology and philosophy research. Includes hundreds of full-text journals and magazines covering many religious and philosophical topics, including world religions, religious history, political philosophy and philosophy of language.

Statista ​Statista is an easy-to-use portal that integrates statistics and reports from thousands of sources on topics related to business, media, public policy, health, technology, and many others. The numerous infographics can be exported or downloaded for use in reports and presentations.

Available with library card

Other Online Resources

Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library Focuses on the history, literature, art, music, religion, and politics of African Americans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

Special Collections and Archives Collection at The Denver Public Library An amazing collection of manuscripts, photographs, maps, art, newspapers and more.

Crash Course YouTube Channel: U.S. History John Green teaches you the history of the United States of America.

Crash Course YouTube Channel: World History John Green teaches you the history of the world.

Khan Academy: History Videos about the history of the world.

Library of Congress Resources relating to history including newspapers, maps, sound recordings and more.

The History Net United States and world history through eyewitness accounts, interviews, photographs, and more.

United States History By Era, Region or Topic.

Interactive Timeline From the University of Houston's Digital History Project. Create an interactive timeline from the first Americans to 2000.


Geography and Cultures

Databases

databasesLibrary databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. Start your research with these general databases, available from any Denver Public Library or from home with a Denver Public Library Card.

video icon Look for the video icon to see a Denver Public Library screencast.

video icon Database Search Strategies

Ethnic Diversity Source Covers the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America. It provides full text from a growing list of sources including peer-reviewed journals, magazines, e-books, biographies and primary source documents.

Explora Middle School Find information from magazines, newspapers and reference books on a variety of topics . Includes videos, primary sources, images and biographies.

Explora High School Look up topic overviews, magazine and academic journal articles, facts and primary sources for research papers, class projects or homework. Get information from trustworthy sources that you can cite in your papers. Designed with students and educators in mind.

CultureGrams Learn about customs and daily life across the United States and around the world. Includes essays, graphics, audio and video, created by a native or long-term resident of the country.

Points of View Controversial essays on multiple sides of an issue. Essays provide questions and supporting articles. 

Other Online Resources

CIA World Fact Book Facts, figures, history, flags, geography and politics of the countries of the world.

National Geographic Access pictures, video and music of people and places around the globe.


Government

Databases

databasesLibrary databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. Start your research with these general databases, available from any Denver Public Library or from home with a Denver Public Library Card.

video icon Look for the video icon to see a Denver Public Library screencast.

video icon Database Search Strategies

Explora Middle School Find information from magazines, newspapers and reference books on a variety of topics . Includes videos, primary sources, images and biographies.

Explora High School Look up topic overviews, magazine and academic journal articles, facts and primary sources for research papers, class projects or homework. Get information from trustworthy sources that you can cite in your papers. Designed with students and educators in mind.

Other Online Resources

Government 101 Learn how a bill becomes a law, what the President's and Congress' roles are, election process, and more.

U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets Facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations on countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

Khan Academy: American Civics Videos about how government works in the United States.

USA.gov Government made easy.

Colorado Government Includes elected officials, state agencies and more.

City and County of Denver Government and Legislation Find out how Denver's city government is organized and structured.

U.S. Census Demographic, economic and geographic statistics for states, counties, and places.

Browse Government Documents in our catalog