Researching a topic, person, or even finding specific quotes might feel daunting, but don’t worry! We’ve put together some simple tips to guide you through the process.
Give It Time: Remember, good research takes time. For straightforward tasks like checking a quote, set aside 1-2 hours. For more complex topics, expect to spend 1-2 days, or even longer.
Focus Your Topic: Narrow down your topic. Instead of tackling something broad like “America’s Christian Heritage,” zoom in on a specific angle, such as “America’s Christian Heritage in Colonial Times.” This will help you find more relevant information.
Diversify Your Sources: While sites like Wikipedia or other online encyclopedias are fine as starting points, don’t rely on them. Mix it up by using various sources such as online articles, newspapers, and books to cross-reference and verify information. (Please note: Wikipedia is editable by the public at large, so we recommend using it as a launchpad to help you trace back to primary sources instead of using it as an authority on any given topic.)
Seek Primary Sources: For the most accurate historical info, turn to original sources or works written within about 50 years of the time you’re researching. If you’re reading a newer book with sources listed, it can sometimes help you trace back to more authentic materials. (Remember, your goal is to hear it from the horse’s mouth instead of through the grapevine.)
Review the Pitfalls to Avoid: Understand how to look for book accuracy, and how to identify revisionism and bias before researching a topic. Check out the Just Facts Academy for more information on determining accurate information and other research tips.
Tap into Online Libraries: Websites like Google Books, Hathi Trust, and Internet Archive offer free access to old books that are no longer under copyright. These are great places to find primary sources.
Additionally, here are some resources from WallBuilders that could be used as a great starting point for research…
WallBuilders Online Resources: Discover historical sermons, documents, and articles from our collection that are available online.
Recommended Reading List: Dive into our curated list of helpful books that can provide you with historical overviews and a place to begin your research. (For writings of the Founders or other historical resources, see the Helpful Links page. The Recommended Reading List page contains more modern works.)
FAQ: Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, where our team addresses common historical queries.
Helpful Links: Utilize a compiled list of external sources and organizations that can aid your research.
Remember, research is a journey. Take your time to explore different sources and enjoy the process of uncovering hidden truths and fascinating stories.
To see additional articles about How to Research, check out the articles posted here, here, here, here and here.
The first step for any successful research project is to just get started. As you look up more people or events, or confirm quotes by Founding Fathers or others in history, you’ll figure out what works to get you results. To help you in these efforts, we’ve already compiled some resources on How to Research, including other websites to visit.
But what if you want to search on WallBuilders’ website and just can’t figure out how to start? Well, here are some tips to navigate our Resources search.
Go to our Resources section: https://wallbuilders.com/resources/. You can use either the search bar on the top of that page, or scroll down a bit to the one on the left labeled “Search.”
Enter your keywords. Generally, one or two keywords should get you started. However, you can put quotations around a phrase to see any results that exactly match that phrase (i.e., searching Washington might bring up references to Washington DC, or Booker T. Washington, but typing “George Washington” would produce references to the first president).
Utilize the filters found in the Search section to narrow the types of results returned. You do not have to use all the filter options, select only those that fit your search. Filter options include:
Categories: These are the types of resources on our website. They can include articles written by Tim or David Barton; documents such as sermons, proclamations, or letters; and artifacts from our collection. If you’re unsure, you can start off with the “Articles” category.
Topics: These are very general groupings that our resources might fall under. Use this if your search obviously fits into one of the options. If you’re not sure, just skip this filter.
State: This filter only applies to proclamations collected as part of our Christian Heritage Week resources. Many searches won’t require this filter.
Era or Events: These are broad chronological periods that cover American history from Columbus through now. Use this to research a specific person or event. For example: if you were looking for artifacts related to Abraham Lincoln, you might filter to 1860s Civil War.
If you get stuck or the search doesn’t seem to be working, hit the red “Reset” button under the search bar or simply refresh the page.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for, don’t give up! It may just be time to check out our Helpful Links for other great resources to search.
Remember, researching is not always easy, but it is rewarding. We hope our Resources section is helpful in your investigation!
If you have a research-related question, you’re in the right place! The WallBuilders Research Team has created a series of informative articles designed to guide you through the research process. Whether you’re learning how to navigate the WallBuilders website or beginning a research project of your own, these resources offer practical “how-to” steps to help you find accurate, reliable answers to your questions.
Explore the articles below to get started on your research journey.
To easily find these articles on our main Resources page, simply select “How to Research“ from the list of topics. We recommend bookmarking the link for convenient access in the future. Be sure to explore our Recommended Reading List and FAQ page for additional helpful resources and information.
James Armistead, who lived from 1748 to 1830, played an integral role in the American War for Independence and became an influential black patriot behind America’s most important victory in the War. For more than two centuries, Americans have celebrated him as a hero.
James was a slave owned by William Armistead on a farm near Richmond, Virginia. During the War for Independence, William became a military supply officer for the Continental Army and James accompanied him. In the latter stages of the War, both personally witnessed the vicious and brutal attack on their friends and neighbors in Richmond led by British General Benedict Arnold.
In the early part of the War, Arnold was an American general and a military hero from the Battle of Saratoga, the first major American victory in the Revolution. But Arnold’s wife and family supported the British, and Arnold was arrogant and wanted more recognition than he was receiving, so he became a traitor and defected to the British. They made him a general and he subsequently led a number of battles against the Americans.
In 1781, late in the War, Arnold led a surprise attack on Richmond. He had the British troops burn the city, ransack private homes, and loot personal valuables.
“Stagecoach” Mary Fields lived from 1832 to 1914 and embodied the American Old West qualities of hard work, toughness, and faith.
Born into slavery in Tennessee, she was enslaved by a pro-slavery Unionist Democrat, Judge Edmund Dunne. He traveled the country extensively throughout his life. He moved from New York to Tennessee, became a California legislator, served as a Chief Justice of the Arizona Territory, a member of the convention that wrote the original constitution of Nevada, and he helped found a Catholic colony in Florida. Judge Dunne’s activities literally carried him from coast to coast.
After slavery ended with the passage of the 13th Amendment, Mary was freed but chose to continue living with the Dunne family. When the judge’s wife died in 1883, Mary took the judge’s five children to his sister, Mother Amadeus, a nun who headed a convent in Toledo, Ohio. The following year, Mother Amadeus was sent to Cascade, Montana, to start a school for Native American girls alongside a school for the Blackfeet Tribe run by Jesuit priests. When Mother Amadeus became deathly ill, Mary hurried to Montana to nurse her back to health.
Bass Reeves, who lived from 1838 to 1910, is one of the most famous lawmen of the Old West. He served in a region, that at that time, was perhaps one of the most dangerous in the country, and the story of his life is filled with fascinating events and incredible moments.
Reeves was born into slavery, and like many former slaves in his day, the details of his early life are uncertain. The best accounts report that Bass was enslaved in Texas by a man named George Reeves. One day Bass and George got into a heated argument, which ultimately led to Bass knocking his master out cold. Knowing that he would likely be killed or at least brutally punished for what he had done, Bass fled across the Texas border to the wild and rugged Indian Territory, which would later become Oklahoma.
Few were inclined to pursue anyone into that Territory, not only because of the direct danger from Native Americans but also because of the countless outlaws and bandits who lived there. The Territory had little organized justice, so for years criminals from across the nation fled there to be safely beyond the reach of the law. Bass, fleeing from the injustice of slavery, did the same. He became friends with the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole tribes. During his time there, he learned much about that wild and dangerous region, something which would be very valuable to him later.
Robert Smalls, who lived from 1839 to 1915, was a slave in Charleston, South Carolina. He piloted steamboats along the Atlantic seaboard and earned a reputation for his exceptional navigational skills. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was forced into naval service on a boat called the Planter, which was the flagship of Confederate General Roswell Ripley. Although Robert was the pilot of the ship, he did not hold that title since a slave in the Confederate South was not allowed to have such an important post.
One evening, the officers went ashore to attend a party. Robert and the rest of the slave crew decided this was a perfect time for their escape. The Union navy had surrounded and blockaded Charleston, so if they could get the ship safely out of the harbor and reach those Union ships, they would be free from slavery. Robert headed the ship toward the open sea. Knowing he would have to pass Confederate checkpoints along the waterway, Robert donned the Confederate captain’s clothing and hoisted the Confederate flag. Moving the ship along and blowing its usual signals, he avoided unwanted attention but still faced two major obstacles: Fort Johnson and Fort Sumter. They safely passed the first, but as they neared Sumter, the starting place of the Civil War, some of the crew, fearing the great danger they now approached, urged him to turn back.
Born a slave in North Carolina in 1825, the “fair” education Benjamin Turner1 received was more than most slaves. Turner, who had helped manage his owner’s hotel and stable, had enough of his own money to purchase property in Selma, Alabama around the time the Civil War started. When the town was captured during the war, much of the city was burned leaving Turner with $8,000 in damages as the result. Turner’s elected positions included: tax collector (1869), councilman for Selma (1869), and US Congress (1871-1873). After his Congressional term, Turner2 returned to business pursuits and ran a farm until his death in 1894.
Josiah Walls3 was born into slavery in Virginia in 1842. He was a private servant to a Confederate soldier until he was emancipated by Union soldiers in 1862. Walls received some education before he decided to serve with the Union Army from 1863-1865. After his wartime service, he lived in Florida and used his earnings from working as a teacher to buy a farm. His elected positions included: state senator (1869-1872, 1876-1879) and US Congress (1871-January 1873; March 1873-1875 & 1875-1876). Walls4 returned to his farm after his political career ended and later ran the farm for Florida Normal College (now Florida A&M) until his death in 1905.
Jefferson Long5, born a slave in Georgia in 1836, was self-educated and ran his own successful tailoring business. Long worked to promote literacy/education opportunities for blacks in Georgia after the Civil War and was known as a great orator. He became the second black American elected to the House of Representatives, and though he only served for 3 months (January-March 1871) Long was the first black representative to speak on the House floor. Long6 went back to his tailoring shop after his time in Congress and opened other businesses before his death in 1901.
It’s important for all of us to learn more about other black history heroes7 to keep alive the memory of these American heroes!
On March 4, 1789, the first United States Congress under the Constitution met in New York City! It wasn’t until April 1st, when a quorum was reached that Congress began. (Pictured here is Federal Hall, their meeting place.) This Congress was very important in our nation’s history!
Second, this Congress passed what would become the Bill of Rights. James Madison, determined to address the shortcomings in the Constitution, presented 19 potential amendments drawn from mainly the various state constitutions. The House of Representatives passed 17 and the Senate 12; ten of these amendments would finally be ratified by the states to become the Bill of Rights.
Members of the firstCongress were well-known individuals at the time. Many were signers of the Declaration and others had signed the Constitution. Some of the members who signed these founding documents include: Abraham Baldwin, Charles Carroll, William Floyd, Elbridge Gerry, William Samuel Johnson, Rufus King, John Langdon, James Madison, Robert Morris, George Read, and Roger Sherman.
One of the lesser known members of this Congress is Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg who was the first Speaker of the House. He was an ordained minister from New York City who had left the city when the British invaded it during the War for Independence. Muhlenberg began his political career in the Continental Congress, served in the Pennsylvania state house, and was president of the state’s ratification convention in 1787 (four dozen ministers were involved in their state’s Constitution ratification debates). His signature appears on the original Bill of Rights document as passed by Congress.
Take time to study some of the events and people involved with this historic first US Congress!
On July 24, 1766 the repeal of the StampAct was celebrated in Massachusetts. Parliament imposed this tax upon the American colonists in 1765 which required that published materials be printed only on paper embossed with a royal stamp. Since America had no elected representatives in the British Parliament, they viewed this as a violation of their fundamental rights as citizens. Resistance to the StampAct occurred across America and its repeal was greeted with widespread rejoicing!
When news of this repeal reached them, Massachusetts’ leaders declared July 24, 1766 “a Day of General Thanksgiving to be observed throughout this Province, that the good People thereof may have an opportunity in a public manner to express their Gratitude to Almighty GOD for his great Goodness in thus delivering them from their Anxiety and Distress.”
Another thing in this “news” making it “good” is the hopeful prospect it gives us of being continued in the enjoyment of certain liberties and privileges, valued by us next to life itself. Such are those of being “tried by our equals” and of “making grants for the support of government of that which is our own, either in person or by representatives we have chosen for the purpose.”
In 1815, John Adams identified the importance of Chauncey’s sermon as a catalyst in the movement leading to independence:
It has been a question whether, if the ministry had…sent a military force of ships and troops to enforce its [the StampAct‘s] execution, the people of the colonies would then have resisted. Dr. Chauncey and Dr. [Jonathan] Mayhew, in sermons which they preached and printed after the repeal of the StampAct, have left to posterity their explicit opinion upon this question…I subscribe without a doubt to the opinions of Chauncey and Mayhew.
Let’s remember the work that previous generations did to preserve our freedom and the great things that can be accomplished when the American people unite!
American liberty is being eroded, and our Biblical foundation is under constant attack. Here at WallBuilders, we provide education, training, and resources to equip people to know and defend the truth to protect our freedom.
Born a slave in North Carolina in 1825, the “fair” education Benjamin Turner
Jefferson Long
On March 4, 1789, the 
On July 24, 1766 
In 1815, John Adams 
