Spend some time thinking about what you want your topic to be. Is there a particular era or theme that intrigues you? Is there a person or political movement you want to know more about? Once you have a general idea of what you're looking for, do some preliminary research on your topic. The resources on this page offer overviews of many time periods and topics in American History. After you have a grasp on the basic facts of your area of interest, you're ready to dive deeper, using the resources on the Databases and Secondary Sources and Primary Sources pages.
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You've got an idea for a topic, but how do you refine it?
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What's the best way to approach your research?