The first step is to pick a topic related to American history from 1865 to the present that you would find interesting since you will be spending time researching it.
Once you have an idea, do a little background research to learn more about it by searching encyclopedias, the library catalog, or Wikipedia. Here are a few places to begin:
The gateway to Oxford’s art reference works, including the peer−reviewed, regularly updated Grove® Dictionary of Art and the Benezit Dictionary of Artists.