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Guides and Finding Aids

NARA guides provide researchers with detailed information on general and selected subjects documented in the holdings of the National Archives.

These guides provide descriptions of records relating to a single subject in the records of many Federal agencies.

Most Frequently Requested

Also available:

Guides to Foreign Records (Record Group 242)

American Women and the U.S. Armed Forces: A Guide to the Records of Military Agencies in the National Archives Relating to American Women

Compiled by Charlotte Palmer Seeley
Revised by Virginia C. Purdy and Robert Gruber

"This volume . . .clearly and helpfully explains the organizational logic of the complex holdings of the National Archives relating to women and the military."
--Journal of Military History

"This publication will be especially welcomed by the increasing number of historians who believe that history cannot be fully told without including the role of women."
--The North Carolina Historical Review

"A fascinating addition to the growing field of women's studies."
--American Libraries

This important guide describes records in the National Archives and Presidential libraries that relate to American women who interacted with and eventually formed a part of the Nation's military service organizations.

Covering the last two centuries, the records highlighted in this volume discuss women as participants in and victims of war, suppliers of military goods and services, and wives and mothers of soldiers. The documents include those of the armed services as well as the War Department collections of Revolutionary War and Confederate records. A comprehensive name and subject index and four appendixes are included. Researchers will find the guide an excellent starting point in the study of the role of the US Government in the lives of American women.

6" x 9", 367 pages, 18 illustrations
National Archives and Records Administration, 1992

#100022 Hardcover $25
ISBN 0-911333-90-8

Black History: Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives cover Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives
Compiled by Debra L. Newman

"[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

"All historians interested in the history of Afro-Americans should become familiar with this work."
--The North Carolina Historical Review

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

This award-winning research guide provides accurate, concise information about civilian records held by the National Archives textual, photographic, and audiovisual that can be used to study the history of African Americans. Records of more than 140 nonmilitary Federal agencies are described. The information provided about each agency explains why that agency was involved with African Americans and describes the volume and characteristics of the records.

6 1/4" x 9", 397 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

"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

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 & Collector's 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 conduct of the war, the book describes records relating to the war that were created after Lee's surrender. Substantive administrative histories of the agencies of the Federal Government add to the usefulness of the volume.

6" x 9", 733 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1962, 1986, reprinted 2005

#200122 softcover $25
ISBN 0-911333-46-0

The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the Government 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 & Collector's Newspaper

This companion volume to The Union 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 are also 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", 546 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1968, 1986, reprinted 2005

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

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

"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

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

--Winner of the Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Book

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

See also: Guide to Federal Records online

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 Materials on Latin America in the National Archives of the United States

Compiled by George S. Ulibarri and John P. Harrison

This guide will assist the researcher in locating the most significant materials in the National Archives that relate to the countries of the Western Hemisphere south of the United States. These materials date from the Continental Congress of 1774 to executive agency decisions of the early 1970s. The descriptions are of representative records of the U.S. Congress, courts, and executive departments.

6 x 9, 489 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, Reprinted 2005

#200123 Softcover $25
ISBN 0-911333-22-3

Guide to Pre-Federal Records in the National Archives cover Guide to Pre-Federal Records in the National Archives
Compiled by Howard H. Wehmann
Revised by Benjamin L. DeWhitt

"Like the other guides published by the National Archives, this one is essential for researchers studying the records of the Federal government. . .Highly recommended."
--American Reference Books Annual 1990, Vol. 21

This important guide will assist the researcher in locating within the National Archives those records created during, or directly related to, the pre-Federal era of US history the period before the Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789. The documents described include those of the Continental and Confederation Congresses, the Constitutional Convention, and the Continental Army and Navy; Revolutionary War era diplomatic, fiscal, and judicial records; records pertaining to commerce, Indian affairs, and postal and customs operations; and records relating to pension, bounty-land, and other claims arising out of military and civilian activities. The volume also contains a comprehensive name and subject index.

6" x 9", 388 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1989

#100026 Hardcover $25
ISBN 0-911333-75-4

Holocaust Era Assets cover Holocaust-Era Assets: A Finding Aid to Records at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland
Compiled by Greg Bradsher

This aid to locating records in the National Archives focuses primarily on efforts to identify, recover, and restitute assets hidden or stolen by Nazi Germany during World War II. However, it also covers such additional topics as World War II economic warfare, and provides a starting point for those interested in other aspects of the Holocaust era, including refugees and war crimes.

8 1/2" x 11", 1,185 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1999

#200048 Softcover $39.95
ISBN 1-880875-19-5

See also: Holocaust-Era Assets: A Finding Aid to Records online.

The Holocaust, Israel, and the Jews: Motion Pictures in the National Archives

Compiled by Charles Lawrence Gellert

"An important guide for teachers, scholars, and researchers in the area of modern Jewish history."
--American Reference Books Annual 1991, Vol. 22

This guide is an indispensable tool for locating films related to modern Jewish history in the National Archives holdings. Heavily illustrated, it presents an annotated listing of films and portions of films produced by the armed forces, civilian Federal agencies, and commercial newsreel sources. Crucial periods in recent Jewish history are represented in four sections: Jews in the United States before, during, and after World War II; Jews in Europe before and after World War II; the Holocaust; and the establishment of modern Israel. Each numbered entry includes the film's title, date, length, and sources as well as a brief description of the film's contents and whether it is in color or black-and-white.

8 1/2" x 11", 123 pages, 103 illustrations
National Archives and Records Administration, 1989

# 100013 Hardcover $17
ISBN 0-911333-78-9

The Trans-Mississippi West, 1804-1912: A Guide to Federal Records for the Territorial Period

Compiled by Robert M. Kvasnicka

This multi-volume 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 US 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", 137 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1994

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

Trans-Mississippi Guide, Part III cover Part III: A 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", 397 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1996

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

Part IV: Section 1. A Guide to Records of the Department of the Interior for the Territorial Period: Records of the Secretary of the 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", 250 pages
National Archives and Records Administration, 1996

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

Trans-Mississippi Guide, Part IV, Section 2 cover 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

Part IV: Section 3 A Guide to Records of the Department of the Interior for the Territorial Period: Records of the General Land Office

Published in two volumes, this guide highlights records of the General Land Office, the Federal agency responsible from 1812 to 1946 for supervising the surveying, management, and disposition of the public domain and the execution of all laws relating to public lands.

The textual, cartographic, and photographic documents described show the manner in which the General Land Office accomplished its mission and the impact of Federal Government policies on the people and lands of the trans-Mississippi West, which consists of the contiguous states between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean.

Included are descriptions of records pertaining to land-grant railroads, Indian and forest reserves, mining claims, and private land claims in areas acquired by the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican cessions, as well as the land entry papers documenting the thousands of individual transactions transferring the public lands to private ownership. These records are an invaluable source of information for environmental and family historians and those interested in our Nation's westward expansion.

8 ½" x 11", 1,130 pages in 2 volumes
National Archives and Records Administration, 2007

#200058-Softcover-$49
ISBN 1-880875-29-2

Guides to Foreign Records (Record Group 242)

Currently Available

Index of Microfilmed Records of the German Foreign Ministry and the Reich's Chancellery Covering the Weimar Period (1958), 95 pp., available in Microfilm Publication T407. $

Supplement to the Guide to Captured German Documents (1959), 69 pp., available only on microfilm. Originally prepared by Gerhard L. Weinberg and the War Documentation Project Staff and published by the Air University in 1952. $

Guides to German Records Microfilmed at Alexandria, VA

Please note: Guides numbered 1-88 are available only in Microfilm Publication T733, which may be purchased. $
Please contact the Customer Service Center for further information.

1. Records of the Reich Ministry of Economics (1958), 75 pp. $

2. Office of the Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of Germandom (1958), 15 pp. $

3. Records of the National Socialist German Labor Party, Pt. I (1958), 141 pp. $

4. Records of the Organization Todt (1958), 2 pp. $

5. Miscellaneous German Records Collection, Pt. I (1958), 15 pp. $

6. Records of Nazi Cultural and Research Institutions, and Records Pertaining to Axis Relations and Interests in the Far East (1958), 161 pp. $

7. Records of Headquarters, German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. I (1959), 222 pp. $

8. Miscellaneous German Records Collection, Pt. II (1959), 203 pp. $

9. Records of Private German Individuals (1959), 23 pp. $

10. Records of the Reich Ministry for Armaments and War Production (1959), 109 pp. $

11. Fragmentary Records of Miscellaneous Reich Ministries and Offices (1959), 19 pp. $

12. Records of Headquarters of the German Army High Command, Pt. I (1959), 19 pp. $

13. Records of the Reich Air Ministry (1959), 34 pp. $

14. Records of German Field Commands: Armies, Pt. I (1959), 61 pp. $

15. Records of Former German and Japanese Embassies and Consulates, 1890-1945 (1960), 63 pp. $

16. Records of the Deutsches Ausland-Institut, Stuttgart. Pt. I: Records on Resettlement (1960), 105 pp. $

17. Records of Headquarters, German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. II (1960), 213 pp. $

18. Records of Headquarters, German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. III (1960), 118 pp. $

19. Records of Headquarters, German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. IV (1960), 76 pp. $

20. Records of the National Socialist German Labor Party, Pt. II (1960), 45 pp. $

21. Records of the Deutsches Ausland-Institut, Stuttgart. Pt. II: The General Records (1961), 180 pp. $

22. Records of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (1961), 41 pp. $

23. Records of Private Austrian, Dutch, and German Enterprises, 1917-46 (1961), 119 pp. $

24. Records of Headquarters of the German Air Force High Command (1961), 59 pp. $

25. German Air Force Records: Luftgaukommandos, Flak, Deutsche Luftwaffenmission in Rumänien (1961), 41 pp. $

26. Records of Reich Office for Soil Exploration (1961), 11 pp. $

27. Miscellaneous SS Records: Einwandererzentralstelle, Waffen-SS, and SS-Oberabschnitte (1961), 34 pp. $

28. Records of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories, 1941-45 (1961), 69 pp. $

29. Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, Part II (1961), 154 pp. $

30. Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, Pt. II (1961), 212 pp. $

31. Records of the Office of the Reich Commissioner for the Baltic States, 1941-45 (1961), 19 pp. $

32. Records of the Reich Leader of the SS and Chief of the German Police, Pt. I (1961), 165 pp. $

33. Records of the Reich Leader of the SS and Chief of the German Police, Pt. II (1961), 89 pp. $

34. Records of German Army Areas (1962), 234 pp. $

35. Records of the National Socialist German Labor Party, Pt. III (1962), 29 pp. $

36. Miscellaneous German Records Collection, Pt. III (1962), 61 pp. $

37. Records of Headquarters, German Navy High Command (1962), 5 pp. $

38. Records of German Field Commands: Rear Areas, Occupied Territories, and Others, Pt. I (1963), 200 pp. $

39. Records of the Reich Leader of the SS and Chief of the German Police, Pt. III (1963), 198 pp. $

Records of German Field Commands

40. Army Groups, Pt. I (1964), 126 pp. $

41. Divisions, Pt. I (1964), 160 pp. $

42. Armies, Pt. II (1964), 110 pp. $

43. Armies, Pt. III (1964), 108 pp. $

44. Armies, Pt. IV (1964), 96 pp. $

45. Divisions, Pt. II (1964), 118 pp. $

46. Corps, Pt. I (1965), 156 pp. $

47. Armies, Pt. V (1965), 162 pp. $

48. Armies, Pt. VI (1965), 85 pp. $

49. Armies, Pt. VII (1965), 124 pp. $

50. Armeeabteilungen (1966), 45 pp. $

51. Panzer Armies, Pt. I (1966), 112 pp. $

52. Army Groups, Pt. II (1966), 139 pp. $

53. Panzer Armies, Pt. II (1967), 160 pp. $

54. Armies, Pt. VIII (1967), 132 pp. $

55. Corps, Pt. II (1967), 150 pp. $

56. Armies, Pt. IX (1968), 166 pp. $

57. Rear Areas, Occupied Territories, and Others, Pt. II (1968), 25 pp. $

58. Corps, Pt. III (1968), 84 pp. $

59. Corps, Pt. IV (1968), 144 pp. $

60. Corps, Pt. V (1969), 124 pp. $

61. Corps, Pt. VI (1969), 186 pp. $

62. Corps, Pt. VII (1970), 233 pp. $

63. Divisions, Pt. III (1970), 143 pp. $

64. Divisions, Pt. IV (1970), 141 pp. $

65. Divisions, Pt. V (1970), 143 pp. $

66. Divisions, Pt. VI (1972), 177 pp. $

67. Divisions, Pt. VII (1974), 179 pp. $

68. Divisions, Pt. VIII (1974), 244 pp. $

69. Divisions, Pt. IX (1975), 243 pp. $

70. Divisions, Pt. X (1975), 237 pp. $

71. Divisions, Pt. XI (1976), 316 pp. $

72. Divisions (292d 327th), Part XII (1976), 305 pp. $

73. Divisions, Pt. XIII (1976), 293 pp. $

74. Divisions, Pt. XIV (1977), 345 pp. $

75. Records of the Waffen-SS, Pt. I (1978), 283 pp. $

76. Records of German Field Commands: Divisions, Pt. XV (1978), 287 pp. $

77. Records of the National Socialist German Labor Party, Pt. IV (1980), 37 pp. $

78. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. V (1981), 180 pp. $

79. Records of the Waffen-SS, Pt. II (1981), 165 pp. $

80. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. VI (1982), 173 pp. $

81. Records of the Reich Leader of the SS and Chief of the German Police, Pt. IV (1982), 184 pp. $

82. Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, Pt. IV (1982), 234 pp. $

83. Records of the SS Economic and Administrative Office (1984), 124 pp. $

84. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. VII (1985), 193 pp. $

85. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. VIII (1990), 70 pp. $

86. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. IX (1990), 132 pp. $

87. Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, Pt. V (1990), 111 pp. $

88. Records of Private German Enterprises and Individuals, Pt. II (1991), 31 pp. $

Guides numbered 89-95 are available as hard-copy introductions with microfiche copies of series entries.
Please contact the Research Support Branch for further information.

89. Records of the General Plenipotentiary for the Serbian Economy (1991), microfiche

90. Miscellaneous German Records Collection, Pt. II (1991), microfiche

91. Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, Pt. VI (1992), microfiche

92. Records of Headquarters, German Air Force High Command, Pt. II (1992), microfiche

93. Records of Private German Enterprises and Individuals, Pt. III (1992), microfiche

94. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command, Pt. X (1993), microfiche

95. Records of the Waffen-SS, Pt. III (1994), microfiche

96. Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, Part VII (Oberkommando des Hers-OKH), microfiche

97. Records of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories (Reichsminsterium fur die besetzten Ostgebiete) and other Rosenberg Organizations, Part II, microfiche

98. Miscellaneous German Records Collection, Part V (2000), microfiche

Guides to Records of the German Navy, 1850-1945

  1. U-Boats and T-Boats, 1914-18 (1984), 357 pp.(available only in Microfilm Publication M1743) $
  2. Records Relating to U-Boat Warfare, 1939-45 (1985), 265 pp.(available only in Microfilm Publication M1743) $
  3. Records of the German Naval High Command 1935-1945 (1999) 24 pp.
  4. Records of the German Navy Operational Commands in World War II (2005), 196 pp.
  5. Pre-World War I Records of the Imperial German nNvy and Its Predecessors, 1822-1919 (2006), 76 pp.
  6. Selected records of the Imperial German Navy Relating to World War I (2008), 190 pp.
     

Guide to Records of the Italian Armed Forces (available only in Microfilm Publication T94) $

  • Part I (1967), 146 pp.
  • Part II (1967), 133 pp.
  • Part III (1967), 170 pp.

Guide to the Records of the Smolensk Oblast of the All-Union Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1917-41 (1980), 277 pp., available only on microfilm $

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