Texas History

Use this guide to find primary and secondary sources for the study of Texas history.

Background Information

Handbook of Texas Online
An online version of the Handbook of Texas. This encyclopedia gives information on the history, geography, and culture of Texas. Look up individual county names for a history of that county. Includes an article on defunct counties. (The New Handbook of Texas) (6 volumes)

Key Databases

Texas Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Provides access over 80 full-text journals and over 200 ebooks about Texas history, ethnic and cultural diversity, gender studies, literature, public health, and business. Includes biographies portraying famous historical and contemporary Texans.
Texas Almanac (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Provides reference and statistical information about the history, culture, politics, climate, and geography of the State of Texas. Supplementary data is available at the companion website.
America: History and Life (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Selectively indexes and abstracts the scholarly literature on U.S. and Canadian history from prehistory to the present. Includes citations to journal articles, book and media reviews, and dissertations. Also includes useful features such as the ability to search by historical time period. For world history, see Historical Abstracts.
Historical Abstracts (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Selectively indexes and abstracts the scholarly literature of world history from 1450 to the present. Includes citations to journal articles, book and media reviews, and dissertations. Also includes useful features such as the ability to search by historical time period. For U.S. and Canadian history see America: History and Life.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text and full-image backfiles of scholarly journals, as well as e-books, and primary resources. Subject areas include the arts, humanities, social sciences, science, math, and business. Includes the Artstor Digital Library containing millions of images from the world's museums, archives, and libraries.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text and full-image versions of scholarly journals and e-books from university presses and scholarly societies. Subject areas include the humanities, social sciences, math, and science.
Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window
A database designed to help you start your research on almost any subject. Contains recommendations for scholarship at all levels, whether encyclopedias and textbooks or journal articles and primary sources. Bibliographic essays and annotated citations on each topic. Peer-reviewed, selective, rather than exhaustive content chosen by experts in their disciplines.
Dissertations & Theses Global (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Provides citations and full-image access to doctoral dissertations and master's theses from more than 1,000 graduate schools and universities. Abstracts are provided for dissertations beginning in 1980 and for master's theses beginning in 1988. Full-image PDFs are available for most titles published since 1997 and a limited number of titles previous to 1997. Coverage is from 1861 to the present.
WorldCat (OCLC) This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive online catalog of library holdings locally and worldwide. Lists books, journals, maps, recordings, films, scores, open access resources, and other materials from academic, public, corporate, and specialized libraries. Get It For Me button allows you to request to borrow an item.
Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples in North America (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Indexes and abstracts journals, books, and U.S. and Canadian government documents on diverse aspects of native North American culture, history, and life. Formerly Bibliography of Native North American Indians.
Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Contains major full-text reference resources on African American and African history and culture, including "Encyclopedia of African American History"; and the "African American National Biography", as well as articles from other major reference sources. Only a few people can use this database at one time.
Nexis Uni (LexisNexis) This link opens in a new window
Extensive coverage of news, legal and business sources. Contains full text U.S. and foreign newspapers, broadcast transcripts, newswires; company, industry and financial information including Company Dossier, and legal sources for U.S. Federal and State case law, statutes, regulations and law reviews. Create a free profile (optional) to save searches and set up alerts. Updated daily. Coverage: 1975-current.
Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive multidisciplinary, multilingual source for articles in scholarly and professional journals, magazines, newspapers, conference proceedings and more. All subjects.
Coverage: 1867-current. Updated daily
ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window
Offers indexing/abstracting to articles in over 3,300 journals across a wide range of subject areas, more than 1,700 of which are also available in full text. Subject strengths include the arts and humanities, business, education, health, international studies, law, literature, multicultural studies, psychology, the sciences, and the social sciences.

Search Library Quick Search

Use Library Quick Search to search for books and articles across many databases in a single search.

Google Scholar

How to Use Google Scholar Off Campus
Due to recent changes made by Google, you'll need to do a one-time set-up for your account to access full-text articles available through UTSA Libraries. Step by step instructions provided.

San Antonio Resources

San Antonio History Matrix
Professor John F. Reynolds of the UTSA History Department has developed this San Antonio History Matrix, an annotated bibliography of English language books, articles, theses, and dissertations about San Antonio, to aid researchers in identifying resources on a variety of topics from different historical eras (1718-1968). Many of the cited sources are available at the UTSA Libraries. Look for a citation in Library Quick Search or ask your Librarian for help in locating an item.
The Seed of Texas: An Interactive Exploration of Bexar County History
Interactive modules using GIS technology to document the history of Bexar County, Texas. A collaborative project of Bexar County, through its Heritage & Parks and Information Technology Departments and The University of Texas at San Antonio
Bexar County Historical Sites & Resources
Information on the history of Bexar County, the county courthouse, area museums and exhibits, archives, and more.
San Antonio Government
A guide with links to current and historical information sources for San Antonio government.