Wikipedia is a great resource for getting general info about something, but because anyone can contribute or change its content, it is sometimes considered unreliable. It is a good place to start your research, but it is best to double check what you find against other sources.
Consider consulting the library's print or electronic encyclopedias, dictionaries, or other reference books to backup the basic information of your paper. Reference books can provide a general overview of a topic and help identify synonyms, related terms, or basic data; these sources often include references and lists of further readings. Additionally, these resources have typically gone through an editorial process to check for accuracy. To the right and below are some resources that may be of use.
Chronicles of Willamette, the Pioneer University of the West
Chronicles of Willamette, Volume II : Those Eventful Years of the President Smith Era
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century
Oxford Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History
Dictionary of American History
Encyclopedia of War and American Society
People of Color in the United States
Race and Racism in the United States
Dictionary of Oregon History
Material Culture in America
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Men and Masculinities
Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education
The Oxford Companion to Art
Movies in American History
The Companion to Southern Literature