Library Guides: HIST 201 (Risk/Steiner): American Founding Documents: Researching Historical Figures

Biographical Sources

Try these reference sources from the library as an alternative to Wikipedia.

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Information on the lives of over 19,000 people from all eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture. Ranges in time from the earliest recorded European explorations to the very recent past.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
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Search this collection of specialized encyclopedias and other reference sources for articles on your historical figure.
Biography (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
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Includes full-text biographical information on more than one million people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.
Biography Reference Bank This link opens in a new window
Find magazine and academic journal articles about your historical figure in addition to basic biographical information.

Meet the Framers of the Constitution
Brief biographies provided by the America's Founding Documents project of the National Archives.
The South Carolina Encyclopedia Online
If your historical figure is from South Carolina, search for an entry in this online encyclopedia.
Notes of Major William Pierce (Georgia) in the Federal Convention of 1787
Transcription of the delegate's notes and character sketches from the convention.

For more in-depth information, check out these group biographies or search in Find It @ USC Libraries for the name of your historical figure.

Find It @ USC Libraries
Choose to search in USC Libraries or limit to Resource Type = Books for better results