The Old West - A pathfinder as a starting point for research
Topics to explore when investigating The Wild West:
- the gold mining industry
- Western Expansion's effect on the Plains Indian tribes
- The life of frontiersmen such as Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill
- Early American travel on the Oregon Trail
Reference materials - A good place to start any research project.
Reference books such as encyclopedias and almanacs, offer short, authoritative information on every topic. Here are a few available at WHS.
- REF 050 Tizon, A., The Rush to 'Gold Mountain. The Seattle Times, 2000.
- REF 973.5 Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Volume 1. 2001.
- REF 973 ANN The Annals of American History. Volume 7. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2003.
- REF 973.5 AME American Eras: Westward Expansion, 1800-1860. Mancall, P. 1999.
Books - Non-fiction books about this topic are found in various sections of the library. There are a few ways you can find them.
- Browse the 900's (history).
- Do a keyword search for your topic using the online catalog (Destiny). (From the Wayland High School page, under Academics, choose the Library Media Center. The first link is to Destiny.
- Use the Resource List prepared for you! From Destiny, find a link to Resource Lists in the left frame. Click Public Lists in upper right corner. Scroll to Wild West. This list contains print books, e-books, and selected websites from Webpath Express. If you need more materials, please see Ms. Schmidt.
- Here are some samples of books owned by WHS:
- 978 M Martin, Russell. Cowboy, the enduring myth of the Wild West. New York : Stewart, Tabori & Chang :, 1983.
- 978 Q Quay, Sara E. Westward expansion. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2002.
- B CAS Netzley, Patricia D. Butch Cassidy. San Diego, CA : Lucent Books, c1997.
WHS databases
Log into any of these databases by clicking on the link. If you are at home you will have to use a remote username and/or password (find on the top of the database page. )
- American History- American History the people, events, and stories of our nation’s evolution.
- America's Historical Papers
- Gale Virtual Reference Library - full-text of reference books
- General Reference Center
- Student Edition- Infotrac resource for finding reference, news, multimedia and primary source resources on all subjects.
- U.S. History in Context provides access to over 4,000 historical (primary) documents, articles from more than 30 reference titles, and over 110 full-text journal covering themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present.
Internet sites
- National Museum of the American Indian This Smithsonian site has excellent photographs and information about the Northern Plains and Plateau people.
- The Gold Rush and New Perspectives on the American West These two PBS sites features interview from historians about this period, maps, timelines, and more.
- Library of Congress' American Memory Collection- The collection's 138 volumes depict the land and its resources; the conflicts between settlers and Native peoples; the experience of pioneers and missionaries, soldiers and immigrants and reformers; the growth of local communities and local cultural traditions; and the development of regional and national leadership in agriculture, business, medicine, politics, religion, law, journalism, education, and the role of women.
BPL: electronic resources
You will need a BPL library card in order to access these databases. Ask Ms. Schmidt if you need help applying for a card.
- Archive of Americana