Wars: This is not comprehensive

• War with France 1798-1800
• Tripolitan War 1801-1805 (Barbary Pirates)
• War of 1812

Heroes: This is not comprehensive

• Stephen Decatur
• Isaac Hull
• John Paul Jones ("Father of the US Navy")
• James Lawrence
• Jacob Nagel
• Oliver Hazard Perry
• Edward Preble

Armed with this background information, use the catalog to look up information about these people and wars using them as the subject. The following list gives examples of specific subject headings for these topics:

Sample Subject Headings:

• Hull, Isaac, 1773-1843
• Lawrence, James, 1781-1813
• United States--History--War of 1812--Naval Operations
• United States--History--Tripolitan War, 1801-1805.
• United States--History--War of 1812
• United States. Navy--History
• United States. Navy--History--War With France, 1798-1800

Books:

• Encyclopedia of World Biography
• Fowler, William M. Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783-1815.
• Icenhower, Joseph Bryan. American Sea Heroes.
• Tucker, Glenn. The Wars in Barbary: Arab Piracy and the Birth of the US Navy.
• The World Book Encyclopedia
  
  

Articles:

To find articles in magazines and reference books, search indexes to periodicals or the indexes of the reference book. Good places to start include:

• Cumulative Index to American Heritage. REF 973.016 AMER
  
  
  • Look up the subject you have chosen, either by personal name, battle name or ship name.
  • The index gives citations to articles on the subject written in American Heritage, which Jervis Public Library owns.
  • Write down the date and pages of the articles you are interested in and ask for them at the Information Desk. Be sure to look for the lengthy articles for the most information. A one page article may not be helpful for an essay.
    
    
• Dictionary of American History. REF 973 DIC
  
  
  • Use the index volume of this set of books to look up the subject you have chosen, either by personal name, battle name or ship name.
  • The index give references to the volume and page number on which the person, ship, or battle is mentioned.
  • Look for main entries for the most information.
    
    
• Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. REF 050 REA
  
  
  • Each volume is an index to articles covering a short amount of time, usually one year.
  • Search the volume for the subject you have chosen in the same manner as the previously mentioned titles.
  • Write down the name of the magazines, the date of the magazines, and the page numbers for each article you would like to get.
  • To find out where and how to access these articles, take the list to the Information Desk and ask a librarian for assistance.

Internet Resources:

• General Information
  • A History of the US Navy: The Navy, The Continental Period
  • United States Merchant Marine
    
    
• Joshua Barney
  • The Barney Family history Association
  • The Road to Washington British Army Style
    
    
• John Barry
  • John Barry, Naval Hero
    
    
• Stephen Decatur
  • Stephen Decatur, Jr.
    
    
• Isaac Hull
  • Commodore Isaac Hull's Grave
  • USS Wadsworth Coat of Arms
    
    
• James Lawrence
  • Short Biography from Wikipedia
    
    
• Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie
  • Flag flown on Perry's ship Lawrence from a retailer of flags
  • US Brig Niagara in Erie, PA
    
    
• USS Constitution
  • USS Constitution The History

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Updated 5/19/10 by KDV