Research Guides: History of Latin America: Beginning Your Research

Start with Reference Sources

What? Reference sources, such as subject encyclopedias and dictionaries, contain overviews and background information. They sometimes contain statistics, definitions and lists of resources for further study.

Why? Reference resources help you choose, explore and develop your topic! When you have a better understanding of your topic, it will be easier to focus your research question or theses.

Where? Reference sources are available in print and library online databases:

Print reference sources are in the library's Reference Collection. They are for library use only.
Online reference sources are available 24/7 via library databases, such as Gale eBooks, CQ Researcher, etc. Portal login required for remote access.

Reference Books Online

All library online material is available 24/7. Log in with your portal username and password.

Try online reference sources from Credo Reference:

Encyclopedia of Pre-Colonial Latin America (Prehistory To 1550s)
Call Number: ebook
This volume covers the history and culture of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean from prehistory through the achievements of the Incas in the 16th century. It begins with an introduction to the precolonial period, followed by a detailed chronology.
Encyclopedia of Colonial Latin America (1550s To 1820s)
Call Number: ebook
This volume covers the history and culture of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean from the arrival of the Spanish, colonization, and independence movements until the 1820s.
Encyclopedia of Early Modern Latin America (1820s To 1900)
Call Number: ebook
This volume covers the history and culture of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, examining Latin America's search for its own identity from the middle of the 19th century to the start of the 20th.
Encyclopedia of Modern Latin America (1900 to the Present)
Call Number: eBook
This volume begins with an introduction to the modern period, followed by a detailed chronology. A collection of primary source documents gives a firsthand account of the major developments of the era.

Reference Book on Latin American History - Library Use Only

The Americas: an Encyclopedia of Culture and Society
Call Number: REF 970.003 Am3595
The Americas profiles the 40 nations and territories that make up North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, including British, U.S., Dutch, and French territories. Each country profile takes an in-depth look at such contemporary topics as religion, lifestyle and leisure, cuisine, gender roles, dress, festivals, music, visual arts, and architecture, among many others, while also providing contextual information on history, politics, and economics. Readers will be able to draw cross-cultural comparisons, such as between gender roles in Mexico and those in Brazil.
Encyclopedia of Modern Mexico by David W. Dent
Call Number: 972.08 D434e REF
This encyclopedia aims to provide an essential tool for those interested in a better understanding and appreciation of Mexico. With more than 250 separate entries covering 15 major thematic topics, the reference book focuses on the important individuals, institutions and events that illustrate the modern development of Mexico since 1940.
Literary Cultures of Latin America
Call Number: 930.1 En19h REF
In three volumes, the book offers a multidisciplinary reference on one of the most distinctive literary cultures in the world. In topically arranged articles written by a team of international scholars, the book explores the shifting problems that have arisen across national borders, geographic regions, time periods, linguistic systems, and cultural traditions in literary history. Bucking the tradition of focusing almost exclusively on the great canons of literature, this unique reference work casts its net wider, exploring pop culture, sermons, scientific essays, and more.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures: the Civilizations of Mexico and Central America by Carrasco, David
Call Number: 972.01 Ox2 REF
3 vols. Entries offer information on the geography, history, arts, literature, religion, and architecture of Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, and modern Mesoamerican cultures that span from central Mexico to present-day Costa Rica.