Research Guides: Bill of Rights: Library Sources

Background Sources

ABC-CLIO American Government This link opens in a new window
Background information, primary sources, and perspectives essays exploring the three branches of government, rights and liberties, political behavior, domestic and foreign policy, and political and economic systems. Browse by type of content and topic.
ABC-CLIO American History This link opens in a new window
Background information, primary sources, and perspectives essays exploring American history from 1350 to the present, organized chronologically and thematically, linking reference, curriculum, and analysis of current events. Browse by type of content, topic, and era.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Britannica Academic provides up-to-date and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information and is a gateway for further research for colleges, academic libraries and high schools.
Infobase American History This link opens in a new window
By providing the most comprehensive range of information in one complete resource—subject entries, biographies, primary sources, videos and slideshows, images, timelines, and maps and graphs—American History Online offers a virtual library of American history for educators, students, and researchers of all ages. American History Online now contains the complete content of the American Women's History Online and U.S. Government Online databases.
Gale U.S. History In Context This link opens in a new window
A complete overview of U.S. history that covers the most-studied events, issues, and current information. It includes viewpoint essays, primary documents, articles from reference books, newspaper and magazine articles, and journal content, as well as streaming video and audio.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History is part of the larger online Oxford Research Encyclopedia, a dynamic digital encyclopedia continuously updated by the world’s leading scholars and researchers

The U.S. Constitution: A Very Short Introduction
The U.S. Constitution: A Very Short Introduction explores the major themes of American constitutional history—federalism, the balance of powers, property, representation, equality, rights, and security. Informed by the latest scholarship, each theme illustrates how the Constitution has served as a dynamic framework for legitimating power and advancing liberty.