What types of information will I find in the American National Biography?

The American National Biography (ANB) is an excellent place for secondary sources about your topic. It is an online biographical encyclopedia with short essays about the lives of more than 18,000 deceased men and women who had an influence on American history.

How do I find this information?

Identify people associated with your topic, then search for their names.

Before searching the ANB, research your topic in a reference work like the Encyclopedia of Chicago and make a list of people associated with your topic. Then search for these names using the quick search box in the blue-green band at the top of the database's search screen.

Can you give me an example?

In the Encyclopedia of Chicago article, "Pullman Strike," the author writes about George Pullman, founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company, and Eugene Victor Debs, president of the American Railway Union.

Search for George Pullman using the quick search box at the top of the search page. On the results screen, you will see a link to an essay that gives an overview of his life as well as links to several short articles from The Oxford Companion to United States History that mention him.

At the end of the essay on his life is a bibliography of recommended sources for further research. Many of these books, including Almont Lindsey's The Pullman Strike [check catalog], are available at the Chicago Public Library.

As you do more research, keep a list of names to run through this database. Other people associated with the Pullman Strike in this database include, among others: Jane Addams of Hull-House, who argued in favor of arbitration during the strike; Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, and Richard Olney, Attorney General, who sent federal troops to Chicago during the strike against the wishes of John Peter Altgeld, Governor of Illinois (also in the database).

What if I can't find an essay on the person I'm looking for?

Ask a librarian! The librarians at Chicago Public Library are familiar with many tools and strategies for tracking down hard-to-find biographical information. They would be happy to help you locate information on the person you're researching.