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U.S. Environmental History

Welcome!

Welcome to the guide for U.S. Environmental History! 

On this LibGuide, you will find a list of primary and secondary sources. The collections and sources that are listed here are freely accessible either online (digitally accessible collections) or in-person in University of Delaware Special Collections. The guide is broken down into themes that you will encounter throughout the semester. Click on the theme that you are most interested in to find sources related to that topic. 

Have additional questions? Contact the librarians that are listed on this page. 

Zion National Park, Large mountains at sunset with deep blue sky in background

Lane, Ken, "Zion National Park (Springdale, UT)," https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/46018899085

Tips & Tricks for Searching

Finding primary sources is a multi-step process. There is no "one-stop-shop" database that will give you everything you need for your paper. Follow these tips: 

  • Look at the bibliographies and footnotes from articles and books to see what primary sources those scholars are using for evidence
  • Think and research multiple institutions, archives, or repositories that could have information and collections about your project
  • Use historical language 

When searching for primary source collections online, include the following additional phrases with your first key words: 

  • online collections
  • digital collections
  • digitized collections

Be aware that digital collections only show a small portion of what an institution holds!