iTools is a quick way to access a number of different types of internet resources. Its "Search Tools" section offers various types of web searches, while the "Language Tools" section lets you look-up words or translate them, and the "Research Tools" section offers quick fact lookup options. http://www.itools.com/
Tennessee Electronic Library-search engine for periodicals, newspapers etc. http://www.tntel.info
Encyclopedia Smithsonian http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/
eyewitness accounts to historical events http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com