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Aids for Genealogical Research Catalog: Guides and Finding Aids

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    Black History cover Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives


      Compiled by Debra L. Newman

      --Winner of the 1985 C. F.W. Coker Prize for Innovative Archival Description of the Society of American Archivists.

      "[An] important volume. . .[Newman] has produced a work that fills a gap in the bibliographic resources available for research on black Americans."
      --The American Archivist

      "An exceptionally fine guide, easy to read and understand. It is a most significant contribution to the National Archives subject guide literature."
      --Provenance

      This award-winning research guide provides accurate, concise information about civilian records in the National Archives textual, photographic, and audiovisual collections that can be used to study the history of African Americans. Records of more than 140 nonmilitary agencies including those of the Office of Education, Federal Housing Administration, Women's Bureau, Commission on Civil Rights, National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, and the Department of Justice are described. Information is provided about each agency, explaining why the agency was involved with African Americans, as well as the volume and characteristics of the records.

      6" x 9", 379 pages, 40 illustrations
      National Archives and Records Administration, 1984

      #100030 Hardcover $25
      ISBN 0-911333-21-5

      #200030 Softcover $15
      ISBN 0-911333-31-2

Civil War Guides covers Civil War Guides
    "Seldom are reprints of reference books as welcome as these two essential guides. . . .[The Union and The Confederacy] belong in all reference collections."
    --American Reference Books Annual 1988, Vol. 19

    All students of the Civil War including genealogists will be interested in this series, which describes the rich source material in the National Archives on almost any topic of the Civil War period. Each volume will prove invaluable to beginning and experienced researchers who wish to study the voluminous documentation on the Civil War in the National Archives in Washington, DC, and in the regional records services facilities across the country.

    • The Union: A Guide to Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War

      Kenneth W. Munden and Henry Putney Beers

      • "Exhaustive, well written, well organized, [and] well indexed." --Civil War Book Exchange & Collectors Newspaper

      This guide provides an opportunity to study the vast collection of US Government documents in the National Archives that relate to the Civil War. In addition to the records of the period 1861-65 and the conduct of the war, the book describes records that were generated after Lee's surrender. Although it consists of Federal records, this postwar documentation resolves many questions about the Confederacy, which after its defeat had no opportunity to prepare final government reports, settle administrative and other issues, or institute postwar inquiries. Lengthy administrative histories of the relevant agencies of the Federal Government add to the usefulness of the volume.

      6" x 9", 721 pages
      National Archives and Records Administration, 1986

      #100050 softcover $25
      ISBN 0-911333-46-0

    • The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the Confederate States of America

      Henry Putney Beers

      • "An outstanding reference aid....Those who simply desire a handy, reliable authority on the myriad operations of the Confederate government will also want this book, even if they never crank the handle on a microfilm reader or crack the cover of a dusty ledger."
      --Civil War Book Exchange & Collectors Newspaper

      This companion volume to the Union Guide is a guide to the official archives of the government of the Confederate States of America. The bulk of the book describes materials held by the National Archives, but Confederate records maintained at the Library of Congress and at 29 other institutions have also been covered, as well as information obtained from repository guides and registers, from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, and from bibliographies regarding the holdings of other repositories.

      6" x 9", 536 pages.
      National Archives and Records Administration, 1986

      #200121 Softcover $25
      ISBN 0-911333-18-5

Guide to Federal Records cover Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States

    --Winner of the 1997 C.F.W. Coker Prize for Innovative Archival Description awarded by the Society of American Archivists

    --Selected a 1997 Outstanding Academic Book by Choice

    "This set of volumes is a must for all research libraries, and for those who research seriously in the Federal Period."
    --Robert Charles Anderson, The American Genealogist

    This essential new reference work introduces users to the archival records of the Federal Government. In this three-volume set, two volumes describe the nearly 1.7 million cubic feet of records transferred to the custody of the National Archives as of October 1, 1994, and the third volume indexes these descriptions.

    All types of Federal records textual, electronic, cartographic and architectural, and audiovisual are covered. The information is organized into more than 400 sections, each of which covers the records found in a single record group, generally one Government agency. Each section opens with an administrative history of the agency and an overview of the extent and location of its archival records, whether those records are in the Washington, DC, area or in a regional Federal archival repository. The overview is followed by specific details of types of records, dates of coverage, and activities documented. The extensive index enables users to trace connections between related records described in separate record groups.

    The Guide is an invaluable source of information about the rich resources of the National Archives of the United States and an essential addition to the collections of libraries, archival and historical institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, colleges and universities, and professional and private individual researchers.

    8 3/4" x 11 3/8", 3 volumes, 2,428 pages
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1996

    #100009 Hardcover $95
    ISBN 0-16048312-3

Guide to Genealogical Research cover Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, Third Edition
    Praise for the First Edition

    "This guide is a must for both the novice and the experienced genealogist."
    --Genealogical Helper

    "Amazingly complete. . .This book should find a place on every scholar's bookshelf."
    --Journal of Southern History

    "This is the sort of volume that induces late-night browsiness. . .The surprise is how engaging government can be once bureaucracy breaks down into such discrete matters as passenger arrival lists, bounty land records, and . . .claims maps. What was red tape a century ago becomes . . .connective tissue today."
    --Los Angeles Times

    --Selected an Outstanding Reference Source by the American Library Association

    The National Archives contains a wealth of information about individuals whose names appear in census records, military service and pension files, ship passenger arrival lists, land records, and many other types of documents of interest to both beginning and experienced genealogists. The award-winning Guide shows how to tap this rich resource, explaining what types of records are preserved in the National Archives and what specific information about individuals is included in each type of record.

    This new Guide supersedes the 1985 edition. A complete revision and enlargement, it covers records not described in the earlier version and includes references to information available through the NARA web site. The volume also contains illustrations and photographs, citations to many new and previously cited microfilm publications, and expanded and clarified descriptions of the relevant records held by NARA.

    Highlights of the new edition include:

    • New information on the 1920 census
    • Increased coverage of naturalizations
    • Citations to more than 300 new microfilm publications
    • Descriptions of many records accessioned since the last edition
    • A comprehensive, greatly expanded index
    • Enlarged chapters on African Americans and Native Americans
    • More coverage of records in NARA’s regional archival facilities

    The Guide is an indispensable aid for researching family genealogy, local history, and social trends. Beyond its extraordinary reference value, the Guide will fascinate all curious readers and inspire a deep appreciation of America's rich documentary heritage.

    8 1/2" x 11", 420 pages, 59 illustrations
    National Archives and Records Administration, 2001

    # 100001 Hardcover $39
    ISBN 0-911333-00-2

    #200001 Softcover $25
    ISBN 0-911333-01-0
    Guide to Records Relating to American Indians cover Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians

      Compiled by Edward E. Hill

      --Winner of the 1982 Waldo G. Leland Prize awarded by the Society of American Archivists

      "A significant publication that will serve as an indispensable research tool."
      --The American Archivist

      "[A] unique and extraordinarily useful research tool [that] will benefit scholars for years to come."
      --Choice

      "A magnificent work that should be on every serious researcher's shelf."
      --New Mexico Historical Review

      This guide provides descriptions of records that are available in the National Archives and its regional records services facilities. It includes concise information about records that trace the evolution of Federal Indian policy, the effects of national policies on traditional Native American culture, Indian wars and their results, and the role of Native Americans in the development of US society.

      6" x 9", 467 pages, 24 illustrations
      National Archives and Records Administration, 1984

      #200003 Softcover $25
      ISBN 0-911333-13-4

Our Family, Our Town cover Our Family, Our Town: Essays on Family and Local History Sources in the National Archives

    Compiled by Timothy Walch

    "Excellent essays. . .Will greatly assist the beginner in utilizing federal records and will provide additional in-depth sources for the more experienced researcher."
    --Nebraska History

    Here is practical advice and encouragement in the use of Federal records in family and local history research. Military pension records, census schedules, ship passenger lists, and court documents are among the materials discussed. "These Federal records," notes historian Thomas J. Schlereth in his introduction to the volume, "are particularly rewarding historical resources because they pay special attention to people and places [that] never imagined themselves to be historical. Consulting [these records] allows us to do family history that is much more than compiling lists of names and dates, and local history that is much more than a recital of the famous and flamboyant."

    7" x 9", 223 pages, 37 illustrations
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1987

    #100012 Hardcover Was $20; Special Offer $10
    ISBN 0-911333-50-9
The Trans-Mississippi West, 1804-1912: A Guide to Federal Records for the Territorial Period

    Compiled by Robert M. Kvasnicka

    "Ease of use and completeness of information are two important criteria by which to evaluate a collection guide. This Guide succeeds on both counts. . . .Thank you, Robert Kvasnicka, for making the National Archives research experience more rewarding and fun."
    --Richmond L. Clow, South Dakota History

    Winner of the 1995 C.F.W. Coker Prize for Innovative Archival Description awarded by the Society of American Archivists.

    Winner of the 1996 Thomas Jefferson Prize for Finding Aids awarded by the Society for History in the Federal Government.

    This multivolume guide identifies and describes records in the National Archives that are associated with the American West. These guides alert readers to the research potential of these records and assist in their location.

    Trans-Mississippi Guide, Part I cover Part I: A Guide to Records of the Department of State for the Territorial Period

    This initial volume identifies and describes the Territorial Papers maintained by the Department of State, records relating to Presidential appointments and pardons, and correspondence with departmental officials at various posts in Mexico, Canada, and the Republic of Texas.

    The Guide also covers records of commissions responsible for establishing the international boundaries of the United States and the settlement of claims involving the Republic of Texas, Great Britain, and Mexico, as well as records concerning Government exhibits at various international expositions held in the Western United States.

    8 1/2" x 11", 140 pages
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1993

    # 200018 Softcover $12
    ISBN 1-880875-00-4

    Trans-Mississippi Guide, Part II cover Part II: A Guide to Records of the Department of Justice for the Territorial Period

    This second volume covers correspondence of the Attorney General's Office; records relating to appointments of Federal judges, attorneys, and marshals; and dockets and case files documenting the activities of U.S. attorneys and marshals.

    The Guide also covers case files for Indian depredation claims as well as other claims brought against the United States, reports and other records of the Bureau of Prisons, Presidential pardon case files and Utah amnesty case files, and investigative case records compiled by predecessors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    8 1/2" x 11", 140 pages
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1994

    # 200019 Softcover $15
    ISBN 1-880875-02-0

    Trans-Mississippi Guide, Part III cover Part III: Guide to Records of the Department of Agriculture for the Territorial Period

    The third volume of this series describes records of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Forest Service, and the Weather Bureau. This volume identifies documents relating to the activities of the Bureau of Roads, Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Dairy Industry, Bureau of Plant Industry, and other agencies that affected agriculture and ranching in the Trans-Mississippi West.

    8 1/2" x 11", 400 pages
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1996

    #200038 Softcover $20
    ISBN 1-880875-11-X

    Trans-Mississippi Guide, Part IV cover Part IV: Section 1. A Guide to Records of the Department of Interior for the Territorial Period: Records of the Offices of the Secretary of Interior and the Commissioner of Railroads


    The fourth volume of this series covers records of the Secretary of the Interior concerning public lands and territories, railroads, reclamation projects and parks, and Indian-white relations. This guide also discusses records of the Commissioner of Railroads.

    8 1/2" x 11", 236 pages
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1996

    #200039 Softcover $18
    ISBN 1-880875-13-6

    Part IV: Section 2. A Guide to Records of the Department of Interior for the Territorial Period: Records of Select Agencies

    This volume covers records of the Geological Survey, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Offices of Education and Territories, and Bureaus of Reclamation and Mines.

    8 1/2" x 11", 216 pages
    National Archives and Records Administration, 1997

    #200056 Softcover $20
    ISBN 1-880875015-2
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