U.S. Slavery: Books

Books provide in-depth coverage on a topic and have a broader focus than articles. You can look at book chapters to help you navigate through a book more quickly and find the information you need. 

The UHV Library has both physical books and electronic books. Below, you'll find information on how to find both physical books and electronic books on your topic.

The library catalog holds things like books, ebooks, and streaming videos. If you are only looking for books on your topic, and not articles, search the library catalog below.

If you're looking for books on slavery in the United State, you can try the following keywords:

• slavery united states
• slavery U.S.
• slave narrative
• trans-Atlantic slave trade
• abolition
• cotton trade
• anti-slavery
• emancipation
• slave narratives

You can combine and mix and match these keywords to find the sources that are most relevant to your research. 

Browsing, like in a book store, is sometimes the best way to find interesting books on your topic. You can do this in person at the UHV Library and the Victoria College Library. In libraries, we use call numbers to organize books by subject. Here are the call number ranges, or sections on the shelf, where you are likely to find books on slavery topics.

• E151-889 - United States
• E441-453 - Slavery in the United States. Antislavery movements
• HT731 - Freedmen
• HT851-1445 - Slavery
• HT1501-1595 - Races

​How are you supposed to use a call number? Write down the call number or call number range you'd like to explore. At the end of our bookshelves are markers that tell you what call number ranges for that shelf. They are organized alphabetically and then numerically. So for example, you would go to the Es. Then E441 and so on until you found the specific call number or call number range. If you need help finding a call number, you can get help at the Ask a Librarian desk on the second floor.