Citizen Archivist Dashboard

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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USS Fenimore Cooper, 3/21/1853 - 11/8/1853

Handwriting challenge! Do you have the transcriber superpower of being able to read cursive? If you do, help us transcribe journals kept during the US surveying expedition to the North Pacific Ocean.

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.

World War II and Korean War Photographs

Help us transcribe the captions of these photographs documenting the activities of the U.S. Air Force and its predecessors during World War II and the Korean War, as well as U.S. military aviation history. You are welcome to also tag features and details you see in each photo.

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

Ferdinand Lundberg v. Orson Welles, Herman J. Mankiewicz, and R.K.O. Radio Pictures, Inc., Deposition of Orsen Welles, 5/4/1949 Transcribe this record.
Letter from President Gerald R. Ford to Adrian Weiss Regarding a Request for Equal Time Waiver, 4/20/1976 Transcribe this record.
V.S. Pan Papers, 1948-1949,Certificate of Receipt of Materials with Attached Army Ocean Manifests, 1/19/1949 Transcribe this record.
World War I File, 1917-1919: Field Orders and Reports: February, 1919, 129th Field Artillery Drill Schedule from Captain Roger T. Sermon, 2/1919 Transcribe this record.
Cambridge Plating Co., Inc. v. Napco, Inc., Defendant's Second Concise Statement of Material Facts as to Which There is No Genuine Issue for Trial, 12/13/1991 Transcribe this record.
Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868-2008, Narrative Reports, Lacreek NWR, 1951 Transcribe this record.
Message Of Greeting Over the Telephone To The California Pacific International Exposition At San Diego, 5/29/1935 Transcribe this record.
Records of the U.S. Forces in Southeast Asia, 1950 - 1976, USARV Command Historian Reading File Jul-Dec 1967 Transcribe this record.
Franklin D. Roosevelt remarks at the site of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, 7/24/1939 Transcribe this record.
Order Number 69-5003 of the United States Supreme Court to the Supreme Court of Georgia Overturning its Decision in the Case of William Henry Furman v. the State of Georgia, 6/29/1976 Transcribe this record.

Intermediate

Official Military Personnel File of James M. Stewart Transcribe this record.
Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009, Criminal Case Files, 1790 - 1912, United States vs. Nathaniel T. Davis and Thomas L. Shaw: Depositions of John Smith and William Chandler, 3/21/1846 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 82- January 22-April 22, 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.
Alice Bobo v. ITT Corporation and Continental Baking Company Transcribe this record.
San Francisco Branch Evacuee Property Files, Sacramento Field Representative File (Part 6 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, Automobile Requisition File Transcribe this record.

Advanced

Petition of Thomas Ross, Agent and Attorney of Joseph B. Woolfolk, Bill of Lading Transcribe this record.
Logbooks of Ships and Shore Installations, 1948-1972, USCGC Eastwind (WAG-279/WAGB-279), January 1956 - December 1956 Transcribe this record.
The United States vs. Albert Horn: The United States vs. Albert Horn: Affidavit of Thomas Charlocke., 11/8/1862 Transcribe this record.
Records of the Forest Service, Historical Files, 1901 - 1962, F – Studies – General, 1938-48 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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