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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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Nuremberg Trials

Transcribe pretrial interrogation transcripts, summaries and other pertinent records for nearly 200 individuals who were questioned by the Interrogation Division of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality (OCCPAC). These interrogations were for the benefit of the U.S. prosecution staff at Nuremberg. The persons questioned included not only defendants before the Tribunal but also friendly and unfriendly witnesses.

Carded Service Records of Hospital Attendants, Matrons and Nurses, 1861 - 1865

Help us transcribe records relating to the service of hospital attendants, matrons and nurses. They list the name, hospital muster roll and date of original record, when attached, capacity in which employed, by whom and to what date last paid, whether present or absent, and remarks. Copy our template of the form to speed up your transcription work: history.gov/message/31205

African American History

The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the African American experience. Explore our records documenting African American History and help transcribe these records to make them more searchable and discoverable in the Catalog. More information about African American research can be found on our website, archives.gov/research/african-americans

TVA Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1937 - 1948

Transcribe case histories and family surveys of individuals affected by the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) acquisition of land for dam and power production projects. Find a page without a blue tag and start transcribing. Thanks to Citizen Archivist Alex for the suggestion!

Index to Final Pension Payment Vouchers, 1818 - 1864

Transcribe these index cards that include name, agency of payment, date of act, date of payment and date of death.

Award Cards, 1942 - 1963

Help us transcribe this large series of index cards for awards that include the Purple Heart, Air Medal Decoration, Commendation Medal, Distinguished Service Cross, and Distinguished Flying Cross. Information included consists of: name, service number, rank, general order number, order date and issuing organization, award type, date awarded and more.

Protection from Pirates

Transcribe records related to Mediterranean Passports, which were certificates issued by the Secretary of State in an attempt to ensure safe passage of American vessels in areas threatened by Barbary pirates.

Oaths of New Masters, 1930 - 1967

Transcribe oaths prepared on printed forms in which masters swear that they are U. S. citizens, the vessel will be used only for the purpose stated in its license, and it will not be used to defraud the United States government of revenue.

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

More than 18,000 photographs from the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are now available in the Catalog. We are looking for Citizen Archivists to add specific topical subject tags to each photograph in the Record Group.

Adding tags will help increase access to these rich records

Join the mission and get started tagging!

Record Group Explorer Missions

The National Archives recently launched a new pathway to view and explore our records: the Record Group Explorer. You can use this tool to see an overview of the scans of records currently available in our Catalog, organized by Record Group and format.

To celebrate the launch of the Record Group Explorer, we’ve created special missions for each Record Group. Give the Explorer a try while contributing as a citizen archivist! Jump in and help tag and transcribe:

We’ll feature additional Record Groups for future missions. Each of your contributions to these records will help unlock history and make them easier to find in our Catalog for other users.

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

Records of the Army Staff, 1903 - 2009, Official Military Personnel File of Audie Murphy, Recommendation from Brigadier General R.B. Lovett, to Lieutenant General A.M. Patch, for Audie L. Murphy to be awarded the Medal of Honor and General Patch's approval. Transcribe this record.
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration), 1974 - 1977, School Desegregation Standards and Assistance Act of 1976 [Bill], 6/24/1976 Transcribe this record.
Statement by First Lieutenant Walter W. Weispfenning, 39th Field Artillery Battalion, who witnessed the actions taken by Lieutenant Murphy on January 26, 1945, near Holtzwihr, France. Weispfenning's account attributes Murphy's actions as "enabling his regiment to hold ground that was won at a heavy cost in blood. Transcribe this record.
Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793-1999, Superintendent John R. Brennan to Teachers and Housekeepers., 5/29/1911 Transcribe this record.
Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004, Letter from the Acting Secretary of the Department of State to the Secretary of the Treasury Regarding a Request from the French Government in China to Allow a Chinese Servant Traveling with a Frenchman to Land in the United States, with Enclosed Translation of the Request by the French Embassy and Telegram Regarding Bond Transcribe this record.
Cambridge Plating Co., Inc. v. Napco, Inc., Affidavit of Beverly Fischer, 1/6/1992 Transcribe this record.
Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868-2008, Narrative Reports, 1972 Rice Lake NWR Transcribe this record.
Certificate of Receipt of Materials from Major General V. S. Pan, 1/28/1949 Transcribe this record.
Records of the U.S. Forces in Southeast Asia, 1950 - 1976, 201-01 USARV Command Historian's Newsletters Transcribe this record.
Presentation Of A Special Gold Medal In Commemoration Of His 60th Birthday And In Tribute To His Use Of Wireless Communication To The Greatest Advantage In Peace And In War, 2/12/1942 Transcribe this record.

Intermediate

Records of the American National Red Cross, 1881 - 2008, Central Decimal Files, DR-6.08 Oklahoma, Tulsa Co. Riot Reports and Statistics, 1881 - 1982. 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.
Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, 1923 - 1972, Records of the Currency Section Received from Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF), 1944 - 1945, 400/1 Organization: European Civil Affairs Unit, 1944-1945 Transcribe this record.
Despatches from U.S. Ministers to Great Britain, 1791-1906, Volume 83- April 23-September 4, 1863 Transcribe this record.
Approved Pension File for Bertha Greaves, Widow of Clinton Greaves, Companies A, B, C, and H, 9th U.S. Cavalry Regiment; and Companies of Instruction B and C, General Service (WC-11779) Transcribe this record.
Records of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1891 - 1992, Lyndon B. Johnson, V. F. Striegler, and C. H. Stevenson v. Coke R. Stevenson Transcribe this record.
San Francisco Branch Evacuee Property Files, Sacramento Field Representative File (Part 7 of 10) Transcribe this record.
Esther Williams et. al. v. City of Kansas City, Missouri et. al. Transcribe this record.
San Francisco Branch Evacuee Property Files, 3/18/1942 - 6/30/1946, Evacuee Property Department Account Check Register Transcribe this record.

Advanced

Disapproved Pension Application File for Nana Alchesay (alias Nana Nonolay), Widow of Sergeant William Alchesay (alias Chazzin, alias Tazin, alias Alchisea), Indian Scouts, U.S. Army (WO-1626322) Transcribe this record.
Logbooks of Ships and Shore Installations, 1948-1972, USCGC Eastwind (WAG-279/WAGB-279), January 1956 - December 1956 Transcribe this record.
Records of the Forest Service, 1870 - 2008, Historical Files, 1901 - 1962, F – Studies – Fires, 1939 Transcribe this record.
Letter from Mary Greenhow Lee to Rose Greenhow, ca. 1861 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.
Records of the Public Buildings Service, 1801 - 2000, Letters Sent, 1/1858-1/1930, Vol. 2: Pages 950-1047: Letters 181-209 Transcribe this record.
Approved Pension File for Mary A. Meredith, Widow of Private Mathias Meredith, Company C, Osage County Regiment of Missouri Home Guards (WC-676177) Transcribe this record. (Scanned by Citizen Archivists in the Innovation Hub!)
Bankruptcy Act of 1898 Dockets, 1898 - 1979, Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, 1970 Transcribe this record.
Records of Hospital Supplies, 11/13/1815 - 3/3/1817 Transcribe this record.

Questions? Email us at citizenarchivist@nara.gov

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