Using Civilian Records For Genealogical Research In The National Archives Washington Dc Area

This reference information paper (RIP) describes civilian records of interest to genealogical researchers held at the National Archives in Washington,DC, and College Park,MD. In conducting its business, the Federal Government creates records that can often be used by family researchers. Among the more commonly used records are Federal census records and public land records as well as passenger arrivals and naturalizations. This publication describes these and other records useful to genealogists.

Describes the kinds of population, immigration, military, and land records found in the National Archives, and shows how to use them for genealogical research.

Introduces the reader to National Archives records most frequently consulted for genealogical information.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository of the permanently valuable records of the U.S. Government. NARA's vast holdings document the lives and experiences of persons who interacted with the Federal Government. The records created by post–Civil War Federal agencies are perhaps some of the most important records available for the study of black family life and genealogy. Reconstructionera Federal records document the black family's struggle for freedom and equality and provide insight into the Federal Government's policies toward the nearly 4 million African Americans freed at the close of the American Civil War. The records are an extremely rich source of documentation for the African American family historian seeking to “bridge the gap” for the transitional period from slavery to freedom. This reference information paper describes three post–Civil War Federal agencies' records housed at NARA in Washington, DC, and College Park, MD: the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands; the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company; and the Commissioners of Claims. Records of these agencies often provide considerable personal data about the African American family and community, including family relations, marriages, births, deaths, occupations, and places of residence. They can contain the names of slave owners and information concerning black military service, plantation conditions, manumissions, property ownership, migration, and a host of family related matters. While these records represent a major source for African American genealogical research at NARA, there are other Federal records available to assist the black family researcher as well. For details of these records, researchers should consult the Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives (National Archives Trust Fund Board, 2000); Black Studies: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications (National Archives Trust Fund Board, 2007); and Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives (General Services Administration, 1981).