I mention websites last in my list of resources because they are the most unreliable. Some sites are genuine to the same degree some books are reliable. Once you’ve gathered all the other information possible, it’s much easier to discern what you can trust. Otherwise, I’d suggest that you find one or two other sources which confirm the information to be found at that site. Where did the information come from? Was it found in letters which are established facts from records of an Army fort or an institution of some note? Did someone in authority by-pass regulations or established practice? I found this to be the case in one vital piece of evidence in my story. My character had to ask for a closed hearing to settle a matter when a general gave a private posse authorization to use federal arms against citizens who purchased stolen property. Such instances are rare, often hidden, but ultimately accessible if you are diligent in research.
More often than not, you will find that myth violates and taints facts in website research. Exaggeration and bluff were so much a part of the era I studied that I could scarcely separate truth and fantasy. Another well-known writer of my same era wrote a nonfiction account which passed as fact and misleads the reader by a long shot on his character. That character has been treated heroically for over a century and was actually a very simple and flawed individual. People often believe what they want because they need heroes. The frontier era in America is its heroic past. It is when a simple man, uneducated, somewhat frail, could go into a wilderness alone and make friends with savages and survive. This is the hero today’s average man and woman idealizes.
Narrative Non-Fiction: Research Resources
Nearly every state university publishes an historical review magazine. This was my first resource after the books I found on my subject. Once you’ve read five or six books on your subject you should have begun to see many of the topics you’ll need to explore. Naturally, you’ll keep a notebook of these topics. Many of you will know how to store files of these topics on the computer. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how important organization is to the creation of a saleable book.
The first level of research in the historical library is among such books as the Encyclopedia of American Biography and Who’s Who in American Biography, etc. Your librarian can guide you through such resources. Next, there are drawers of cards which lead you to the microfilm stacks. My main character was not a top tier politician and entrepreneur, but the microfilm found his name and profile in at least 30 books of important people. A Secretary of War for two years rates a fairly high status. Copy your microfilm sources and seek them out. Most of the men prior to the 19th century wrote their own short bios which were used in these encyclopedias of historical figures. Microfilm readers and printers are available in these libraries. Printing copies can be expensive. If you can establish trust, you may be able to take the microfilm reels to a local county library and copy them there for less than half the expense. That’s what I did to copy old newspapers.
You are now ready to explore your topic or main character or model for your main character on both a national and state level.
