Colonialism and Rebellion in Africa

|Background Sources | Secondary Sources: Books | Secondary Sources: Articles | Published Primary Sources |

Background Sources

Encyclopedias and dictionaries provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. More importantly, because encyclopedias often cover the major issues surrounding the subect, they can help you narrow your research from a broad “who, what, where, when” topic to a “how or why” question. In addition many encyclopedia articles include short bibliographies that will lead you to the major works on the topic.

The books listed here are shelved in Suzzallo Reference, first floor Suzzallo Library.

  • Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience
    Suzzallo Reference
    DT14 .A37435 1999
  • Encyclopedia of Africa south of the Sahara
    Suzzallo Reference
    DT351 .E53 1997
  • Historical dictionary of European imperialism
    Suzzallo Reference
    D217 .H57 1991
  • Historical dictionary of Kenya
    Suzzallo Reference
    DT433.215 .M39 2000
  • Historical dictionary of the British empire
    Suzzallo Reference
    DA16 .H56 1996

Secondary Sources - Books

Use the following databases to locate books in the UW Libraries and in other libraries around the region, nation and world. Books unavailable at the UW can be requested through the UWorld Express (interlibrary loan).
  • UW Libraries Catalog
    A listing of the books, journal subscriptions and other material available at the University of Washington Libraries.
  • Cascade
    A listing of the books, journal subscriptions and other material available in the 6 public university library systems in Washington state. Books can be requested online and sent to the UW.
  • OCLC WorldCat [UW only]
    A listing of books, journal subscriptions and other material available in hundreds of major libraries in the U.S. and abroad.
  • OhioLINK
    Use OhioLink to access chapters of recent books, use the "Words" search option.

Secondary Sources - Articles

 Use indexes and bibliographies to find articles (from scholarly journals, popular magazines and newspapers and sometimes books, dissertations, government reports, etc.) on a topic. Most indexes are arranged by subject or include a subject index. Indexes/abstracts are ongoing publications; bibliographies tend to be one volume and are more narrowly focused on a specific topic. There are indexes covering all sorts of subjects, use those which best fit your research topic. For a complete list of electronic indexes see Databases & Catalogs on the Information Gateway.

Once you identify articles you need make sure you have the complete citation (author, title, journal name, volume, pages and year), then look in the UW Libraries Catalog for the journal name (do a title search for the journal name to see if the UW subscribes) to see if and where the journal is kept (library location and call number).

Databases marked UW Only require that you access these from computers on campus or from home using UWICK or the libraries proxy server. Articles from journals which the UW does not own can be requested through the UWorld Express (interlibrary loan).
  • Africa bibliography
    Suzzallo Reference Z3503 .A34
  • Africabib.org
    Bibliography of Africana periodical literature database indexes over 200 English language journals that specialize in African studies.
  • African Studies Centre Catalogue
    Index to articles in 250 journals plus book chapters and other material. Click on the British flag for English version and choose "Catalogue Afrika Studiecentrum."
  • Historical Abstracts [UW only]
    Major index to journals in the field of world history (excluding US and Canada) for the period 1450 to the present.
  • International African bibliography
    Annual index to current books and articles dealing with African studies. 1971 to the present
    Suzzallo Reference Z3503 .I58
  • JSTOR [UW only]
    Searchable collection of back issues of selected journals including the Journal of African History and the International Journal of African Historical Studies . For another collection of searchable electronic journals related to history see Project Muse.
  • Quarterly index to Africana periodical literature
    Index to over 300 scholarly journals published in eastern and southern Africa. 1991 to the present.
    Suzzallo Reference Z3503 .Q38

Finding Published Primary Sources

Using Secondary Sources to Find Primary Sources

Secondary sources, scholarly journal articles and books, are a great source for identifying potential primary sources. Find a few articles, books or dissertations related to your topic and then mine the footnotes and bibliography. You will have the best luck finding published primary sources such as books, government reports, newspapers and magazines within the UW Libraries. Use the UW Libraries Catalog to determine if we have the primary source.

Finding Primary Sources -- Books

The UW Libraries has a strong collection of books that can be considered primary sources for history. These include books written during the period for your topic (i.e., during the 1890s), books written by participants, published collections of correspondence and other personal writings, memoirs and reprints of collections of primary source material. Use the following tactics to find primary sources in the UW Libraries Catalog:

  • Limit your search by publication date.
  • Search for books written by key participants and organizations.
  • Browse the shelves in the appropriate subject area.
  • Use special subject terms that designate primary sources:
    sources, personal narratives, diaries, correspondence, interviews
  • Example:
    • kenya and (personal narratives or diaries or correspondence)

Finding Primary Sources -- Articles

The UW Libraries has a strong collection of American and British magazines and journals from the 20th century. Many of them are in print (either in Suzzallo Periodicals or in a storage area), others are on microfilm.

The libraries also has complete runs on microfilm of major U.S. and British newspapers including the Times (Microfilm A506), Manchester Guardian (Microfilm A597), New York Times (Microfilm A195) and Chicago Tribune (Microfilm A483). Newspapers are housed in the Microform and Newspaper Collections (Mcnews) on the ground floor of Suzzallo.


Magazines and Journals
  • Mau Mau, a select bibliography
    Short bibliography of primarily Western published sources. Suzzallo Allen Stacks Z3587 .N34
  • Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
    General index to American magazines for the period of 1890 to the present. [Reference index area AI3 .R48]
  • Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS)
    Index to political/economic journals and selected books and government reports from 1915 to the present. [Reference index area Z7163 .P9]. Online for the period 1972 onward - PAIS.
  • Subject Index to Periodicals
    Index to British and American journals from 1915 to 1961. Suzzallo Reference AI3 .S78. Also check International Index, Suzzallo Reference AI3 .R49.

Newspapers

  • Official Index to the Times 1906-1980 [UW Only] Index to the Times of London. Printed version in Suzzallo Reference AI21 .T46.
  • The New York times index
    Printed index to the New York Times. Suzzallo Reference AI21 .N44.
  • "The Mau Mau Revolt in Kenya, 1952-1960: A Preliminary Bibliography." Africana Journal 15: 97-126 (1990).
    Short bibliography to newspaper (East African Standard and Kenya Weekly News) and magazine articles. Baker Auxiliary Stacks Z3501 .A382.
  • African newspapers (on reserve in Mcnews, ground floor Suzzallo)
    • Kenya Daily Mail (Mombasa), 1948-60
    • Kenya Weekly News (Nakuru), 1952-53, 1960-61
    • East African Standard (Nairobi), 1954, 1962-65
    • Daily Chronicle, 1959-62

Finding Primary Sources -- Government Reports

The UW Libraries has a good collection of British government documents including parliamentary debates and papers. Some material is printed and some is on microcard. while others are available on microfilm. For more information about locating government documents check with the Government Publications section, ground floor of Suzzallo.

  • Parliamentary Debates
    • House of Commons
      Government Publications J301 .K22
    • House of Lords
      Government Publications J301 .J22
  • Index to current House of Commons parliamentary papers [In library CD-ROM]
    Index to 19th and 20th century parliamentary papers. To locate a copy of the papers see:
    • Sessional papers. [Commons], 1893-1981
      Government Publications J301.K6252
    • Sessional papers. [Lords] 1901-1981
      Government Publications J301.J6
  • Colonial Office Report- Kenya Colony and Protectorate (1931-1938, 1946-1951, 1953-1962)
    Suzzallo Stacks DT434.E2 A32

Image: Roundup of men in Nairobi from Edgerton, Mau Mau: An African Crucible.

| Slides | Sub-Saharan Africa History | History Subject Page | UW Libraries |

29 October 2002
mudrock@u.washington.edu