America: History & Life

a guide to its use:

AMERICA: HISTORY AND LIFE is an index to recently published articles on the history and cultures of the United States and Canada, from prehistoric times to the present. The articles listed are selected from about 2000 journals in 40 languages. Of these, about 800, including state and local historical society publications, are published in the U.S. and Canada. Recent years of this index also include citations to book reviews and dissertations.

Printed volumes of America: History and Life covering 1954-1998 are at Ref E 171.A1A48 in the Reference Area in Crumb Library.

Using the printed version of America: History & Life

To find citations and abstracts on a topic begin with an "Annual Index" volume. These vary in their appearance over the year's, but each year's index provides detailed subject access to the abstracts and citations in the volumes for that year. Looking under your subject could lead you to a list such as the following:

  Sanitation. See also  Pollution; Public Health; Waste
       disposal; Water supply
   --.Coal Mines and Mining. Company towns.
             Standard of Living. 1920's  5173a
   --.Earth closets. 1860-1900.  4680a
          Santa Fe Trail. Apache Indians (Jicarilla)
          Indian-White Relations. Massacres. Wagon
          Mound Massacre. 1850.  3839a
   --.Becknell, William.  Trade Routes. 1821-25
           4549a
   -- Capitalism. Frontier and Pioneer Life.
           1820's-40's.  7025b
   --.Chávez, Antonio José.  Murder. New Mexico.
           1843.  12060b
   --.Civil War. Mexican War. Military. 1846-48.
           1861-65.  4673a
   --.Commerce. Mexicans. 1830-48.  4556a

For each item you want to examine look up the abstract number to find the full citation and, for articles, the abstract. For some years the number is preceded by a letter to indicate the volume part in which it will be found; for example 23A:3997 is abstract #3997 in Part A of Volume 23. Later years have letters after the number to indicate whether the item is an article(a), book review(b), media review(v), or dissertation(d).

Example of the abstract for an article:

27:4549.

Beachum, Larry Mahon. TO THE WESTWARD; WILLIAM BECKNELL AND THE

BEGINNING OF THE SANTA FE TRADE. Journal of the West 1989 28(2):

6-12. William Becknell (1788-1856) made three round trips from

Missouri to Santa Fe for commercial purposes in 1821-25. Because

of his pioneering of this new trade route, he became known as the

"Father of the Santa Fe Trail." Based on National Archives

documents, materials in several other archival collections,

and secondary sources; 2 maps, 3 photos, 20 notes. H.T. Lovin

Use the library's "Finding Articles" web page. Under the heading "What periodicals are available?", use the CitationLinker links.

Click An Article if you want to search for a specific article using the full citation.

Click "A Periodical" if you just want to see whether a periodical is available, and for what years.