**Publisher:** EBSCO Information Services
**Original Compilation:** John Carter Brown Library, Providence, Rhode Island
**Subjects Covered:** History, exploration, colonization, anthropology, geography, natural history, and the early Atlantic world

Overview

European Views of the Americas: 1493–1750 is a bibliographic database indexing printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. Originally compiled by the John Carter Brown Library, the database contains citations to works chronicling the exploration and colonization of North and South America, the Caribbean, and surrounding regions. It serves as a primary‑source discovery tool for locating early printed materials describing European perspectives on the New World—including voyages, discoveries, indigenous cultures, trade, natural resources, and missionary activity.

Scope and Content

• Coverage Period: 1493–1750.
• Records: Over 32,000 bibliographic entries describing works printed in Europe during this period.
• Languages: Primarily Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, Dutch, and Latin.
• Content Type: Citations only (no full text) to books, pamphlets, maps, and manuscripts.
• Subjects Include: Exploration, colonization, geography, indigenous peoples, natural resources, and missionary activity.
• Source Institution: John Carter Brown Library, renowned for its early Americana collections.

Strengths

• Authoritative bibliography compiled by the John Carter Brown Library.
• Comprehensive coverage spanning over 250 years of European works about the Americas.
• Multilingual entries useful for linguistic and comparative research.
• Essential reference tool for locating rare or early printed materials worldwide.
• Rich metadata including publication data, subjects, and notes to aid in locating editions and translations.

Limitations

• Does not include full text; provides citations only.
• Specialized focus limited to pre‑1750 European publications.
• Some records are in non‑English languages requiring translation or reading proficiency.
• Users must locate items through interlibrary loan or digitized collections (HathiTrust, Google Books, EEBO).
• Narrow subject scope; best suited to historians and advanced researchers.

Best For

• History majors and researchers studying early exploration, colonization, or transatlantic exchange.
• Faculty and students in anthropology or geography examining European views of the New World.
• Scholars of literature and languages analyzing early modern travel writing and exploration narratives.
• Archivists and librarians assisting patrons with rare book or primary‑source research.

Complementary Databases

Overall Evaluation

European Views of the Americas: 1493–1750 is an essential bibliographic database for early American and Atlantic world studies. It offers detailed citations to European publications documenting exploration, colonization, and intercultural encounters between 1493 and 1750. For South Dakota Mines, this resource supports humanities and interdisciplinary research into the history of science, geography, and exploration. Because it indexes citations only, library guides should direct users to full‑text versions in Primo, HathiTrust, or via interlibrary loan (Tipasa).

Ask Digby – Library Help

Need help evaluating sources or accessing databases? Ask Digby, the Devereaux Library’s friendly prairie dog mascot! Digby can assist with off‑campus access, citation tools, and choosing the right databases for your research.

📧 Email: library@sdsmt.edu

🌐 Chat: Ask Digby

🔗 Library Catalog (Primo): https://sdsmt.primo.exlibrisgroup.com

📍 Devereaux Library, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD