THET 290: Theatre in the United States, 1750-1890

Professor: Heather Nathans
TA: Aaron Tobiason
Librarian: Judy Markowitz

This guide will assist you in locating resources for your THET 290 research paper:
the connection between the play and the historical event and how events outside the playhouse relate to what is taking place onstage.
For additional information, please contact Judy Markowitz, Reference Librarian, 301-314-1316, judym@umd.edu.

table of Contents

First Step: Subject Encyclopedias, Reference Materials

Why start with these sources? These subject encyclopedias and other reference materials provide an introduction to a topic or person; background information; and in most cases, a bibliography so you can further your research. They can also be used to help identify a topic and narrow or broaden it. The words in the parentheses are the Library of Congress Subject Headings - useful for finding additional books on the same topic.

THEATRE

• Eddleman, Floyd. American Drama Criticism: interpretations, 1890-1977 PA LIB REF & MCK REF PS332.E34 & supplements

• Meserve, Walter. American Drama to 1900. A Guide to Information Sources. PA LIB REF & MCK REF & MCK STKS PS345.M45

• Moody, Richard. Dramas from the American Theatre, 1762-1909. PA LIB REF & STKS & MCK STKS PS623.M66

• Moses, Montrose Jonas. The American Theatre as Seen by its Critics, 1752-1934. PA LIB REF & STKS & MCK STKS PN2221.M7 1967

• Odell, George. Annals of the New York Stage. (1798-1894) PA LIB REF PN2227.N5O4 Available full text in the North American Theatre Online database

• Wilmeth, Don, ed. The Cambridge History of American Theatre. vols. 1 (Beginnings to 1870) PA LIB REF PN2221.C37 1998

• Witham, Barry, ed. Theatre in the United States: a documentary history. Vol. 1. 1750-1915. Theatre in the Colonies and United States. PA LIB REF PN2221.T54 1996

• Wolter, Jurgen, ed. The Dawning of American Drama: American dramatic criticism, 1746-1915. PA LIB REF PN2221.D38 1993

HISTORY

• American Eras. vols. 1-8. MCK REF E169.1.A471979 1997
  (united states-civilization)--(colonial era-1600-1754)--(development of a nation-1783-1815)

• Boyer, Paul, ed. The Oxford Companion to United States History. MCK REF E174.O94 2001 (united states-history-encyclopedias)

• Finkleman, Paul, ed. Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century (3 vols) MCK REF E169.1.E626 2001
  (united states-civilization-19th century-encyclopedias)

• Foner, Eric, ed. The Reader's Companion to American History. MCK REF E174.R43
  (united states-history-encyclopedias)

• Greene, Jack, ed. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. MCK REF E208.B635 1991
  (united states-history-revolution-1775-1783-encyclopedias)---(united states-history-18th century-encyclopedias)

• Jaycox, Faith. The Colonial Era: an eyewitness history. MCK REF E188.J39 2002
  (united states-history-colonial period-ca. 1600-1775)--(united states-history-colonial period-ca.1600-1775-sources)

• Morris, Richard, ed. Encyclopedia of American History. MCK REF E174.5.E52 1996
  (united states-history-chronology)---(united states-history-encyclopedias)

  There are many other reference books of United States history shelved in McKeldin Reference. Browse the call numbers listed above
  

USING THE CATALOG TO LOCATE ADDITIONAL BOOKS

Start by searching for books identified in the above sources, search by title/author. Follow the subject headings.

• Carson, Cary, ed. Of Consuming Interests: the style of life in the 18th century. MCK E162.O3 1994
  (united states-social life and customs-to 1775)---(united states-social life and customs-1783-1865)

• Silverman, Kenneth. A Cultural History of the American Revolution: painting, music, literature and the theatre in the Colonies and the United States... MCK NX504.5.S54 1976
  (arts, american-history)---(united states-history-colonial period, ca. 1660-1775)---(united states-history-18th century-art and the revolution)

Chapters / Essays in Books:

• Richards, Jeffrey H. "Play and Earnest on the Postwar Stage." In Theater Enough: American Culture and the Metaphor of the World Stage, 1607-1789, 265-79. Durham: Duke University Press, 1991.

• Philbrick, Norman. "The Spy as Hero: An Examination of Andre by William Dunlap." Studies in Theatre and Drama: Essays in Honor of Hubert C. Heffner, edited by Oscar Brockett, 97-119. The Hague: Mouton, 1972.

  Search by the title of the book: (Theater Enough or Studies in Theatre) or the author of the book (Richards or Brockett) NOT the title of the chapter or essay (Play and Earnest or The Spy as Hero)

Searching for books on a topic:

• Lindenauer, Leslie. Piety and Power: gender and religious culture in the American colonies, 1630-1700. MCK BR520.L56 2000

• Salinger, Sharon. Taverns and Drinking in Early America. MCK E162.S23 2002

word/s search: fugitive slave act and 1850

• Dorr, James Augustus. Objections to the act of Congress, commonly called the Fugitive Slave Law... MCK Microfiche E450.D71

word/s search: "trail of tears"

• Garrison, Tim Alan. The Legal Ideology of Removal: the southern judiciary andthe sovereignty of Native American Nations. MCK KF8228.C5G37 2002
  (trail of tears 1838)--(cherokee indians - relocation-history)

word/s search: united states and history and theat* and revolution
(the * = truncation = (theatre or theater or theaters or theatrical...)

• Brown, Jared. The Theatre in America During the Revolution. PA LIB PN2237.B76 1995
  (theater-united states-history-18th century)--(united states-history-revolution-1775-1783-literature and the revolution)

subject beginning with search: theater united states history / theater and society--united states / theater-united states-history-19th century

• Bank, Rosemarie. Theatre Culture in America, 1825-1860. PA LIB PN2248.B36 1997
  (theater united states history 19th century)--(theater and society united states history 19th)

• McConachie, Bruce. Melodramatic Formations: American Theatre and Society, 1820-1970.
  PA LIB PN2248.M34 1992
  (theater united states history 19th century)--(theater and society united states)--(american drama 19th century history and criticism)

Searching for books about a person:

• Moody, Richard. Edwin Forrest, first star of the American stage. PA LIB & MCK PN2287.F6M57

• Carson, Ada Lou. Royall Tyler. MCK PS855.T7Z6

"You Already Have the Journal Article Citation - How to Find It

The easiest way to determine if we own the journal article and the format availability is to use the Article Search Box on the Research Port page:

Examples:

• Fox, D.R. "The Development of the American Theater." New York History, 17 (1936), 22-41

• McArthur, Judith N. "Demon Rum on the Boards: Temperance Melodrama and the Tradition of Antebellum Reform." Journal of the Early Republic 1989 9(4): 517-540

RESEARCH PORT, DATABASES, E-JOURNALS AND FIND IT

Research Port is the libraries gateway to the databases, electronic journals and off campus access. When using a database, be sure to follow the link. This will direct you to the available full text, the catalog if we own the journal in print, or Interlibrary Loan if full text is not available and if the Libraries do not subscribe to the journal or needed vol/issues.

• America: History and Life 1954 -
  Most important database for locating articles on the history of the United States and Canada.
  Limits: LANGUAGE = english / DOCUMENT TYPE = article / TIME PERIOD
  search strategies: drunkard and (drama or theat*) / tyler and contrast / uncle toms cabin and (drama or theat*) / phrase = "fugitive slave act"

• International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance. 1982 -. Comprehensive database for theatre research.
  search strategy: tyler and the contrast

  Depending on your topic, America: History and Life and International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance can be searched together
  

• North American Theatre Online. Full text database of plays, production history, reference works. Search under person or name of play.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: PRIMARY SOURCES, NEWSPAPERS, PERIODICALS

• New York Times Historical. Full text of the New York Times from 1851 - 2001. Strategies: ti(margaret fleming)
  

• Washington Post Historical Full text of the Washington Post from 1877-1988.
  The New York Times Historical and the Washington Post Historical may be searched together.

• The Performing Arts in Colonial American Newspapers, 1660-1783. CD-ROM-Ask at the PA LIB information desk.

• African American Newspapers
  Collection of African-American newspapers contains information about the cultural life and history during the 1800s, and contains first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day pertaining to African Americans.

• American Periodicals Series
  More than 1,000 American periodicals published between 1740 and the early twentieth century. strategy: gladiator and bird

• American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library / Library of Congress. Includes more than 7 million digitized primary sources in more than 100 historical collections, including the following:
  

• The American Revolution and Its Era: Maps and Charts of North America and the West Indies, 1750-1789

• A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873

• Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789

• Early Virginia Religious Petitions, 1764-1802

• First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820

• George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799

• The Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress

Pennsylvania Gazette, 1728-1800

LOCATING VISUAL IMAGES

• Henderson, Mary. Theater in America: 250 years of plays, players, and productions. PA LIB REF PN2221.H38 1996

• Toll, Robert C. On With the Show: the first century of show business in America. PA LIB & MCK PN221.T6 FOLIO

• Hornblow, Arthur. History of the Theatre in America. PA LIB PN2221.H6 1965

• Taubman, Hyman Howard. Making of the American Theatre. PN2221.T35 1967

CITATION SYSTEMS AND STYLE MANUALS

Use the Citation Systems and Style Manuals library guide to make sure you are citing correctly. Includes style manuals for MLA and Chicago/Turabian.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PLAGIARISM

Use the What is Plagiarism library guide to make sure you understand academic integrity and plagiarism.