What is slavery?
Slavery is...
"a condition of subordination and domination involving forced labor and servitude, which has been present since the dawn of civilization; it is a condition made possible through distinguishing insiders and outsiders, creating social groups who are possible to enslave, to dominate, and to make use of." - Cambridge dictionary of sociology.
Slavery has been present since the beginning of civilization and has taken place in many different societies, contexts, and conditions.
In this guide, we will be covering information specifically on how slavery began, developed, and ended in North America. Please remember that slavery and the legacy of slavery is unique in the United States and that different countries have different experiences with slavery.
Find Background Information
Background information is like the information you might find in Wikipedia. These sources will give you basic information about an issue, topic, or event. You can generally find this type of information in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works. These types of resources generally do not include criticism, opinions, or interpretations, although no source is totally free of the author's lens.
Reference Databases
-
Credo ReferenceThis Complete Core Collection includes over 1200 from major reference works, to multi-volume subject encyclopedias, to field guides, to scholarly handbooks, to animations and countless other award-winning sources – spans across all disciplines with something for libraries of all types. Also included are nearly 2,000 short reference videos, more than 550,000 high-resolution art images, photographs and maps across all subject areas. Credo
-
Gale eBooksA database of full-text encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Gale
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries from the UHV Library
-
Slavery in the United States by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781851095445Publication Date: 2007-03-20A comprehensive, contextual presentation of all aspects-social, political, and economic-of slavery in the United States, from the first colonization through Reconstruction. This encyclopedia is an ambitious examination of all the issues surrounding slavery: the origins, the justifications, the controversies, and the human drama. These volumes represent the work of 75 distinguished scholars from around the world. Ten thematic essays present a thorough examination of slavery and slave culture, including a rare treatment of slavery from the slave's point of view. Three hundred A-Z entries provide instant access to specific people, issues, and events. -
The Underground Railroad by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781849725163Publication Date: 2009-10-05This is the most complete reference on the Underground Railroad ever published. It includes full coverage of the Railroad in both the United States and Canada, which was the ultimate destination of many of the escaping slaves. The Underground Railroad: An Encyclopedia of People, Places, and Operations explores the people, places, writings, laws, and organizations that made this network possible. Entries detail the families and personalities involved in the operation, and sidebars extract primary source materials for longer entries. This encyclopedia features extensive supporting materials, including maps with actual Underground Railroad escape routes, photos, a chronology, genealogies of those involved in the operation, a listing of Underground Railroad operatives by state or Canadian province, a "passenger" list of escaping slaves, and primary and secondary source bibliographies.
