Checklist: Places to Look For Documents on Archives.gov
Looking for original, or copies of, Federal records on our web site? You’ll have to look in several places to be sure you’ve checked all available sources. Some sources are databases while others are online museum exhibits and publications.
Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
Search or browse electronic records that are highly structured, such as information in databases. The initial release of AAD contained material from more than 30 archival series of electronic records, which included over 350 data files totaling well over 50 million unique records. Go to AAD.
Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
Search among more than 126,500 digitized historical documents, photographs, and images that are accessible online
in ARC.
Go to ARC Galleries: Selected Topics.
Documents in our Museums’ Exhibits
Have only a minute to spare? See a sample list of America’s Historical Documents.
The Charters of Freedom: the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights
Featured Documents, including the Emancipation Proclamation, a Letter from Jackie Robinson, and more.
Browse our many online exhibits on archives.gov and see a variety of exhibits relating to American presidents on the Presidential libraries’ web sites.
Images of records also are available with associated Teachers’ lesson plans and various web pages describing records by research topic.
Our Documents
100 milestone documents of American history, from 1776 to 1965. Includes transcripts and large images.
Go to Our Documents.
GPO Access
Find the official text of Federal laws, Presidential documents, administrative regulations and notices,
and descriptions of Federal organizations, programs and activities.
Go to GPO Access.
Places on Archives.gov with Information about the Records
Archives are not only about the actual records but are also about information about the records, so that we can explore the purpose and historical context behind the records’ creation. Archives.gov offers lots of sources for this information. If you want to learn about the background of certain records, be sure to explore the following:
Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
Our online catalog of our nationwide holdings located in the Washington, DC area, Regional Archives
throughout the country, and Presidential Libraries. You can search by keyword, digitized image, location,
organization, person, and/or topic. Go to ARC.
Microfilm Catalog
This is a searchable database of 3,400 numbered microfilm publications of documents. You can search
for microfilm by keyword, microfilm number, Record Group number, and/or location of our nationwide
research facilities. Researchers at our research facilities may use this material for free.
Our microfilm
also is available for purchase or rental through your local library.
Go to the Microfilm Catalog.
Archives Library Information Center (ALIC)
ALIC, part of the National Archives, provides information about American history and government, archival
administration, information management, and government documents to archives and records management
professionals, the general public, and National Archives staff. Use their online catalog and other
resources. Go to ALIC.
Publications
- Visit our Publications area and Start Your Research area for publications about specific topics
of interest. Don’t miss our Guide To Federal Records in the Archives of the United States of
America.
- If you are interested in information about Federal records about a certain region of the United
States, see ARC and our web pages for our Regional Facilities.
- If you are interested in Presidential papers and materials pertaining to the administration of our 20th century Presidents, beginning with Herbert Hoover, see ARC and our Presidential Library web sites.
