Genealogists/Family Historians

Are you new to archival research?

Review our Main Research Getting Started pages.

Genealogy Tutorial

Starting Genealogy and Family History Research

Suggested Ways To Start

  • Compile as much information as possible about your family. Start with yourself, parents, and grandparents.


  • Ask your relatives about your family history. Often, family members remember stories or information, or possess documents, that can help start you on your way.
 Genealogical researcher
  • Look in family records (letters, family Bibles, scrapbooks, diaries, photographs, baptisms, and new clippings, etc).


  • Consult non-Federal local sources for records such as births, deaths, marriages, deeds, and wills.

Learn about resources available for research and methods for researching

Review Online tutorials and guides
Links to web sites with good sections on how to begin your research.

Consult books and articles
We have included a list of books and articles about what records are available, where they can be found, and steps in the genealogical research process.

Attend Workshops and Conferences
See our list of workshops to help people learn how to use historical documents in genealogical research, and links to other workshops around the country.

Join Genealogical Societies
In addition to sponsoring workshops, other help is also available through genealogical societies.

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Research With Historical Documents

The National Archives (NARA) is the nation's recordkeeper. It preserves and makes available the valuable records of the Federal Government.

Since the founding of the nation, most Americans at some time in their lives have come into contact with or have had some involvement with the Federal Government. It is records created through this contact where you may find reference to your ancestors in our holdings. As you begin your family research at NARA ask yourself about the person's relationship to the Federal Government.

Records in the National Archives are arranged by how the agencies created them, and there is no master subject or name index.

Your use of historical documents at the National Archives likely will yield better results if you first obtain the following information:

  • Names of ancestors, their spouses, their siblings, their children, and other relatives, if known
  • Approximate dates of their birth and death, and, if applicable, dates of military service, of marriage, and of divorce
  • The places (such as the town, county, state or province, and country) of birth and death, and residence.

Any record that gives a name, place, and/or date may be of interest to you as you conduct your family research. There could be a wealth of information about your family in our holdings, just awaiting your discovery!

Records in our holdings that are most often used by genealogists and family historians include:

Begin with Census Records

Once you have the name of an ancestor and an idea of which state he or she resided in, you may want to begin by exploring census records. Census records can provide the building blocks of your research, allowing you to both confirm information, and to learn a lot more. From 1790-1840 only the head of household is listed, but beginning with 1850, details are provided for all individuals in households.

The Federal Population Census has been taken every 10 years, beginning in 1790. The National Archives has the census schedules on microfilm available from 1790 to 1930. (Note: Most of the 1890 Census was destroyed in a Department of Commerce fire, though partial records are available for some states.) There is a 72-year restriction on access to population census schedules, which is why 1930 is the latest year currently available.

Learn more about Census Records research

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Military Records

The National Archives holds Federal military service records in two repositories:

  • The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., for Revolutionary War - 1912 (see details of holdings)
  • National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), in St. Louis, Missouri, for WWI - present (see details of holdings).

Your research path will depend on aspects such as: what branch of service your ancestor was in, which conflict, what dates, whether Regular Army or a volunteer unit, whether your ancestor was an officer or enlisted personnel, and whether there was a pension application.

Learn more about Military Records research

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Immigration Records

Immigration records, also known as "ship passenger arrival records," may provide genealogists with interesting personal information about their ancestors. In addition to their ship and date of entry, you may learn of other details, such as their nationality, place of birth, age, height, eye and hair color, profession, place of last residence, names and addresses of relatives in the U.S., and amount of money they were carrying with them.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has immigration records for arrivals to the United States from foreign ports between approximately 1820 and 1982. The records are arranged by Port of Arrival. Indexes are available for most of the ports, with the exception of New York between 1847-1896.

Learn more about research in Passenger Arrival Records

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Naturalization Records

Naturalization is the process by which an alien becomes an American citizen. These records can provide a researcher with information such as a person's birth date and location, occupation, immigration year, marital status and spouse information, witnesses' names and addresses, and more.

The National Archives in Washington, D.C. holds naturalization records for Federal Courts. Prior to 1906, any municipal, county, state, or Federal court could grant U.S. citizenship, so you may need to contact the relevant State Archives to search in these records as well.

Read more about Naturalization Records research

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Land Records

The land records that are generally of most interest to genealogists are the land entry case files. These are records that document the transfer of public lands from the U.S. Government to private ownership. There are over ten million such individual land transactions in the custody of the National Archives. These case files cover land entries in all 30 public land states.

For land records in the remaining 20 states that were never part of the original public domain, check the State Archives for that particular state. This includes the original 13 colonies, plus Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Read more about research in Land Records

Additional information on getting started on using all of these records can also be found in the various online tutorials and guides.

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Research Records Available On Microfilm

Many of the records which are often used in genealogical research are available on microfilm. To learn more about these records and how to obtain them on microfilm, see our published guides, listed below, and search our Microfilm Catalog database, available online.

  • Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2001. Available for purchase, or search online.

  • American Indians: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995. Available online or for purchase.

  • Black Studies: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1996. Available online.

  • Diplomatic Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1986. Available online or for purchase.

  • Genealogical & Biographical Research: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1983). Available online.

  • Federal Court Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1987. Available online.

  • Immigrant & Passenger Arrivals: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1991. Available online or for purchase.

  • Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985. Available online or for purchase.

Research in Other Federal Records (Not Online Or On Microfilm)

For information on other Federal records, both microfilmed and unfilmed, in the custody of NARA that are useful for genealogical research, consult the Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 3d edition, 2001. Available for purchase.

Research Tips and Solving Difficult Research Problems

If your research seems to hit a dead-end or poses a tough problem, you can often find other paths by learning how others solved their research problems. We provide a list of articles and links to online resources that may help you get beyond your research obstacles. More ...

Questions?

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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001
Telephone: 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272