Websites - HIS 105: US History 1865 - Present - LibGuides at Community College of Allegheny County

evaluate websites

The following are some general, basic criteria to consider when evaluating resources:

Accuracy
Does the information presented seem accurate?
Are the facts verifiable?

Authority
Who is the author?
What expertise does he or she have on this topic?
Who sponsors the site?

Objectivity
What is the stated purpose of the site?
Examine the "About..." or "Mission" links on a web page.
What position or opinion is presented and does it seem biased?
What kind of sites does this one link to?

Currency
On what date was the page created?
Do you need more current information?
Do links on the site still work?

Use
Would you quote information from this site in a college research paper?

Edutopia: 8 Tips to Help Students Evaluate Websites

sites to get started

The following websites pertain to all aspects of United States (and world) history. Most are searchable by keyword or browsable.

20th Century Timeline
From Pearson Education, this site presents 20th Century world history by decades from 1900 to 1980, then year by year to 1999. World wars are featured links.
Best of History Websites
Created by EdTechTeacher Inc, this award-winning portal contains a vast collection of history websites. A little cumbersome to search (but well-worth the effort!), it contains lists and lists of sites: American, European, Modern, and Military History are some of the areas to peruse. Tip: When first entering the site, try to mouse over from the bottom up.
Finding World History
This website breaks down topics in World History by Region and Time Period. Selecting a region or time period will list results about specific sub-topics and areas. If you are looking for sources related to specific part of history, check out this site.
Historical Atlas of the 20th Century
Created by a librarian, this atlas site contains information largely from the public realm. Such well-known atlases as Hammond's, Rand McNally, and Oxford are used. Many maps include contemporary contexts and there are links to other historical map sites, listed on both a chronological and topical basis.
History Channel Online
This site, made available by A&E Television Networks/The History Channel,
provides access to articles on historical topics, explores History Channel shows providing videos and full episodes, images, speeches and more.
History Matters
"A project of the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning of the City University of New York and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, this site serves as a gateway to web resources and offers unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents, and guides to analyzing historical evidence." (site)
History World
HistoryWorld contains separate 300 historical articles and approximately 10,000 searchable timeline events within its unique database. Article pages are listed alphabetically but may also be searched in the main search bar. Article pages also provide information on how to properly cite the website.
Internet Modern History Sourcebook
Hosted on the Web by Fordham University, this online gateway is great for finding primary historical resources. It provides links to web sites, various full-text historical documents, and multimedia covering religion, culture, politics and more worldwide. Sourcebooks are organized by theme.
Library of Congress American Memory
A gateway to primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. Primary sources include images, moving images, sound recordings, music, and text. There are more than 9 million items to be found in 100 collections.
OSU eHistory
Created by the Ohio State University Department of History, this impressive collection of information and primary sources can be browsed by era ("20th Century"), region, or topic. Included are links and videos to time lines, World War II, cultures, and more.
PBS U.S. History
From PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) providing links to its TV programs about the history of the United States.
Presidential Libraries and Museums
From the National Archives, this section of the website lists and links to all of the presidential libraries and museums' websites across the U.S. Included in this portal is a presidential documents guide that allows you to access and research, and information about programs and exhibits at each library and museum. Searchable.
Presidents: A Reference Resource
From the Miller Center and the University of Virginia, this site provides information about all U.S. presidents. Includes biographies, essays, images, recordings, speeches, and more.
Primary Documents in American History: Civil War and Reconstruction 1860 - 1872
U.S. History
From ushistory.org, this extensive site covers historical eras and events from British Colonization to Reconstruction, and beyond. Note additional websites provided and the drop down menu above the title of each section.
United States Timeline
From Americasbesthistory.com, this timeline covers from 1490 to the present.
World Digital Library
From the Library of Congress, this site contains images of primary sources from around the world. Browsable and searchable.
World History Matters
Developed by the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, this is a portal to world history websites. Searchable and browsable.
WWW-Virtual Library: History - United States
The World Wide Web Virtual Library (WWW-VL) History Central is hosted and made available by the European University Institute, Florence, Italy. The U.S. History section of this vast portal includes research broken down by historical periods, topics, museum and historical sites; timelines, primary sources, articles, videos, images, and so on. Browsable. Keyword searchable from the History homepage: http://vlib.iue.it/history/index.html

1865 - present

The following websites pertain to more specific topics and aspects of United States history (1865 - present). These sites are in order by topic, and are searchable and browsable.

Civil War and Reconstruction (1850 - 1877)
From the U.S. National Archives site. Can also access eras after Reconstruction. Browsable.
American Experience: Reconstruction
Links to over 100 programs from the PBS series, "American Experience", dealing with Reconstruction in general or specific aspects of the period.
America's Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War
From the "Digital History" website of the University of Houston.
America's Reconstruction: A Visual Timeline of Reconstruction 1863 - 1877
From the "Digital History" website of the University of Houston.

History.com: Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion
From Historynet.com, this section of the site includes a summary of the western expansion. Scroll to the top of the page to find links to various events during the western expansion such as the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Pony Express, the War of 1812, Manifest Destiny, and so much more. Various articles are included further down the home page and on each of the linked pages.
Westward Expansion, 1860 - 1890
From PBS Learning Media, this page presents an interactive map.
World Wars (BBC)
From the BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.), this vast site explores all world wars in the 20th century including Korean, Vietnam, etc. Also includes the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Fall of the Soviet Union, and more.
History.com: World War I
From the History Channel, this special section includes articles, graphics, and essays.
Library of Congress Guide to World War I Materials and Websites
From the Library of Congress, this page provides links to the Library’s digital collections, external websites, and a selected print bibliography related to the Great War.
World War I Document Archive
Developed by the Brigham Young University Libraries, this archive of primary sources includes hundreds of transcribed documents divided into sections such as diaries, conventions, the maritime war, and the medical front. The photograph archive contains over 1800 photos.
BBC World History: World War Two
History.com: World War II
From the History Channel, this special section includes articles, videos, graphics, essays, links, and more.
HistoryNet: World War II
Library of Congress Guide to World War II Materials and Websites
World History for us All - Paradoxes of Global Acceleration, 1945-Present
This webpage, as part of a broader World History resource, provides information on how globalization is an important factor in modern world history. It breaks down history into how humans interact with each other and their environment. It also gives information on the ideas that emerged from 1945 to present. This webpage is useful for general ideas about world history and starting points for your research by including major themes.
Cold War: American Experience - Race for the Super Bomb
From PBS (Public Broadcasting System), this site provides supporting materials from the film "Race for the Super Bomb". It includes various documents, interview transcripts, a timeline, biographies and more as it relates to the nuclear arms race during the Cold War years. Take a look at the "Features" following the introductory text.
Cold War: British National Archives Learning Curve
This site is divided into six areas: the start of the war, who/what caused it, the wartime Alliance, how did the Cold War "work", how close were we to a nuclear war, and Vietnam as a possible turning point. Each of these areas included a glossary, timeline, and more.
Cold War International History Project
From the Woodrow Wilson International Center, this site includes government documents from around the world on Cold War history, inter-Korean relations, modern Korean history, and nuclear history.
Vietnam War Web Resources
This vast webpage, taken from Georgia Institute of Technology Professor Thomas D. Pilsch's website, includes numerous links pertaining to almost every aspect of the Vietnam War.
Making the History of 1989: The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe
Developed by the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University, this site presents essays, primary source documents, and interviews with scholars on the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Searchable and browsable.

HIS 105: US History 1865 - Present: Websites