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HIST 150: Transatlantic Slave Trade (Spring 2024)

Directions

There are Eight searches your team has to complete.

After you finish each, call over the librarian. If your answer is correct, I'll show you the next question. First team to win gets a prize!

1. Finding Primary Sources in the Catalog

Using the Library catalog, find me a Primary Source published between 1776-1799 that is against abolition of the slave trade

Hints:

  • Use boolean like AND and ""
  • Use the publication date limits
  • Keep the search simple.
  • skim beyond the first page of results.
  • "against" is a bad search term.
  • You will NOT need to open the document to find the answer; the catalog record will tell you what you need to know

3. Finding Historic Newspapers

Using Caribbean Newspapers, find a notification published in the 1780s for a runaway slave that offers an award.

Hints:

  • keep the search simple. you only need a couple search terms
  • Use the Publication range filter
  • "runaway slave" as a phrase won't work in this scenario.
  • To cut down on false hits, you'll need to use a PROXIMITY search instead of the usual AND between your two search terms. Try 15 or 20 words

8. Using GALE to find primary sources

Our very hardest database to use, use GALE's Sabin Americana to find any primary source before 1750 about a slave rebellion.

Hints:

  • keep it simple. Use no more than 2 search terms.
  • Limit results to before 1750
  • Use Proximity searching and try to find the two search terms about 15 words part. Using AND will bring up too many false hits.
  • You'll find writers before 1750 are using "negro" not "slave" during this time period; it's a reminder that primary sources use the language of the time, not modern language.