United States Coast Guard Records
At the National Archives, researchers can find a wide range of information on the United States Coast Guard and its predecessor agencies. These agencies include the Revenue Cutter Service, which patrolled waterways in the early days of the Republic; the U.S. Life Saving Service, which protected shipwrecked mariners; and the U.S. Lighthouse Service, which kept watch along American shores.
Today, the modern Coast Guard performs all of these functions and more to safeguard the United States and its maritime operations. Coast Guard records are available in National Archives research facilities across the country.
As you plan your research, consider these questions: when, where, and what agency, vessels, commands, or districts held jurisdiction within the U.S. Coast Guard?
