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Citizen Archivist Missions

Ready to start tagging and transcribing? We've curated these topical missions to help you jump in and contribute! Click on a topic that interests you, and it will bring you right to those historical records in our Catalog. Tagging and transcribing makes these records more accessible to everyone. New missions are added and updated regularly, so check back often to see what’s new.

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Escape and Evasion Reports

Transcribe reports that typically include typed or handwritten narrative that documents the escape and evasion experience of the escapee or evader. Reports can also include a brief questionnaire concerning the use of escape and evasion (E&E) training and equipment; an interrogation form with unit designation, target information, number of missions flown, date considered missing in action, date returned to U.S. or allied control, country of escape or evasion, and more.

"United States Colored Troops" - American Civil War

Help us transcribe the military service records of Union volunteer soldiers who served during the American Civil War. Records include jackets (folders) containing cards on which information relating to individuals, companies, and regiments of the Volunteer Service of the United States during the Civil War have been copied from original records such as muster rolls, returns, descriptive books, and morning reports.

Federal Aviation Facilities, 1946 - 1972

Help us transcribe the captions of photographs relating to the Federal Aviation Administration's area operations and facilities throughout Alaska. These locations and facilities include the Aleskya Oil Pipeline, Mt. McKinley or Denali, Merrill Field, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Akiak, Amchitka, Cordova, Fairbanks, Iliamna, Kodiak, Metlakatla, Nenana, Nome, Portage, Skagway, Juneau, Tanana, and Wrangel.

Portland Branch Evacuee Property Files

Transcribe correspondence, reports, and case files pertaining to the property of individuals, families, and businesses impacted by involuntary evacuation and relocation because of their foreign national status or Japanese ancestry.

Reports of Clerks, Wagonmasters, and Printers Employed at Various Posts, 1865

Transcribe reports submitted by quartermaster officers to the Quartermaster General (QMG), Washington, DC, in compliance with QMG General Order 51 of August 31, 1865

European Name Index to the Series "Case Files, 1944-1949"

Help us transcribe index cards that contain the name of an individual, a case number, a summary of information from the case relating to the individual, the letter "V" (victim), "W" (witness), or "A" (accused), and often the date the document being described was filed and the document number.

Second Release of Subject Files Under the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Disclosure Acts

Transcribe reports, memorandums, messages, summaries, correspondence, dispatches, translations, contracts, receipts, biographies, financial records, itineraries, organizational charts, lists, minutes, transcripts, tables, maps, administrative records, legal documents, chronologies, and other records. Most of the records relate to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) projects aimed at overthrowing or weakening Communist governments in Soviet Bloc countries during the Cold War.

United States of America v. Howard T. Winter et al., 1979 - 1995

Transcribe records from a case that concerns a 52-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury against 21 defendants for their alleged participation in a racketeering scheme involving fixing pari-mutuel thoroughbred horse races through bribery and subsequently profiting from betting on the fixed races. The activity occurred at several race tracks in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Don't Leave Us Hanging

Help us complete these records that have not been fully transcribed.

Questions? Email us at citizenarchivist@nara.gov

Outside the Box Missions

Up for a challenge or something different? We often have records that require special work in order to make them more accessible.

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Chinese Heritage

Help us transcribe and tag records related to the Chinese Exclusion Era. We need your help transcribing these immigration records and tagging very specific details that will help provide greater access to these records. Please read the instructions on the mission page carefully and begin contributing.

Join the mission

Native American Photographs Tagging Mission

MISSION COMPLETED! Thanks to the contributions of Citizen Archivists, more than 18,000 photographs from the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have been tagged with topical subject tags. These contributions helped to create the Bureau of Indian Affairs Photographs Finding Aid where the records can be viewed by Tribal Nation, Topic, or State.

Explore the Bureau of Indian Affairs Photographs Finding Aid

Transcriber Task Force

Seeking expert transcribers! We’ve gathered records that have tricky elements for our expert transcribers. You may find only a few pages that are difficult or the whole record. If you’d like to join our Transcriber Task Force and get emails for special projects, send us an email citizenarchivist@nara.gov

Get started transcribing!

Zooniverse

Give voice to American soldiers and help transcribe records from the National Archives on the Zooniverse platform:

The American Soldier: Transcribe this remarkable collection of more than 65,000 handwritten reflections by U.S. soldiers who fought during the Second World War.
African American Civil War Soldiers: Transcribe military records of over 200,000 African Americans soldiers who fought for their freedom in the American Civil War.

Featured Records

Jump in and help us transcribe these individual records. Documenting events throughout United States history, transcribers of all skill levels are sure to find something new and interesting in these featured records!

Beginner

USARV Command Historian Reading File Jul-Sep 1967 Transcribe this record.
Deployment of Major U.S. Forces to Vietnam, July 1965: Volume 2, Folder, "Deployment of Major U.S. Forces to Vietnam, July 1965, Volume 2, Tabs 88-119," NSC Histories, NSF, Box 40 Transcribe this record.
Records of the Committee on Fair Employment Practice, 1940 - 1946, Case Files 6/1942 - 11/1945, Cap, Screw & Nut Co. of America, Inc. Transcribe this record.
Despatches from U.S. Ministers to Mexico, 1823-1906, Volume 147; September, 1900 Transcribe this record.
Deeds and Related Title Records Concerning Land Acquired in the District of Columbia, 1927 - 1957, Square 511 - Lot 60 Woodson Transcribe this record.
Black and White Photographs of Marine Corps Activities in Vietnam, 1962 - 1975, 43 - Animals - 1967 (5-legged &"sacred&" bull) - March 26, 1967, 3/26/1967 Transcribe this record.
M179 - Miscellaneous Letters of the Department of State, 1789-1906, January 13 - 19, 1906 Transcribe this record.
United States v. William S. Porter, Order, 4/20/1910 Transcribe this record.
Records of the Post Office Department, 1773 - 1971, Transportation of Mail - Saddle Bags Transcribe this record.
Report of Senator Pat McCarran to the Special Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Foreign Economic Cooperation, 2/14/1951 Transcribe this record.
Palestine, Miscellaneous Correspondence Re, March 1948, OF 204 Misc., Referral Memorandum, 3/25/1948 Transcribe this record.

Intermediate

Official Military Personnel File for Ernest L. Wrentmore Transcribe this record.
Despatches from U.S. Ministers to Japan, 1855-1906, Aug. 3, 1880 - Jan. 22, 1881 Transcribe this record.
Official Military Personnel File for Leonard Matlovich Transcribe this record.
Folder, "Cables, [Cables, memos, reports, and other material, 11/63-5/67] Vol. XVI, 8/16‑31/64, 1 of 2," Vietnam Country File, NSF, Box 7 Transcribe this record.
Appellate Jurisdiction Case Files, 1792 - 2017, Case File 116, October Term 1966, In Re Gault Transcribe this record.
Official Military Personnel File of James M. Stewart Transcribe this record.
Records of Interdepartmental and Intradepartmental Committees (State Department), 1917 - 1981, 334.0 Military Information Control Subcommittee, Part III THRU 334.0 Foreign Policy Information Subcommittee, Part I Transcribe this record.
San Francisco Branch Evacuee Property Files, Sacramento Field Representative File (Part 7 of 10) Transcribe this record.
San Francisco Branch Evacuee Property Files, 3/18/1942 - 6/30/1946, [R7.20] Los Angeles Branch Motor Vehicle Forms (Part 5 of 27) Transcribe this record.
Records of the Post Office Department, 1773 - 1971, Canals - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Transcribe this record.

Advanced

Credentials of Confederate Congressmen from Kentucky, 12/14/1864 Transcribe this record.
United States of America v. George Kaplanis, et. al. Transcribe this record.
General Records of the Department of Justice, 1790 - 2002, Attorney General's Office - Personal Papers - Letters Sent Transcribe this record.
Folder, "Presidential Decisions-Gulf of Tonkin Attacks of August 1964-Volume I, Tab 9, 2 of 2," NSC Histories, NSF, Box 38 Transcribe this record.
Bankruptcy Act of 1898 Dockets, 1898 - 1979, Reading Company, 1971 Transcribe this record.
Logbooks of Ships and Shore Installations, 1948-1972, USCGC Eastwind (WAG-279/WAGB-279), January 1956 - December 1956 Transcribe this record.
Folder, "Presidential Decisions-Gulf of Tonkin Attacks of August 1964-Volume I, Tab 9, 1 of 2," NSC Histories, NSF, Box 38 Transcribe this record.
U.S. v. Douglas Chandler in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Boston, May 29, 1947 Transcribe this record.
War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, 1709 - 1939, Numbered Record Books, 1894 - 1913, British Orderly Book Transcribe this record.
Criminal Case Files, 1879 - 1987, United States of America v. Rose Pastor Stokes Transcribe this record.

Questions? Email us at citizenarchivist@nara.gov

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