National Archives Catalog Guide for Genealogists and Family Historians

What is in the National Archives Catalog?

The National Archives holds historical U.S. government documents (federal, congressional, and presidential records) that are created or received by the President and his staff, by Congress, by employees of Federal government agencies, and by the Federal courts in the course of their official duties.

The National Archives Catalog contains descriptions for NARA's nationwide holdings in the Washington, DC area; regional facilities; and Presidential Libraries. The Catalog is a work in progress and currently contains descriptions for 95% of our records, described at the series level. This means you can find basic information about the records, including size and location, from the description. Additionally, every week we are adding more file unit and item descriptions, many of which include digital files.

Typically descriptions in the Catalog do not include individuals' names; however, the National Archives still might have records about your ancestors.  It may be necessary to closely read records of interest to see if a particular individual is mentioned.

The Catalog contains many descriptions of records that are of  interest to genealogists and family historians, including:

• Applications for enrollment in Native American tribes
• Court records
• Fugitive slave cases
• Land records
• Military personnel records
• Naturalization records
• Federal employees

How Do I Search in the National Archives Catalog?

The Catalog contains descriptions of records held by the National Archives. Researchers can conduct keyword searches and filtered searched in the Catalog.

To perform a simple keyword search:

1. Go to https://catalog.archives.gov
2. Enter some keywords of your choice in the search box in the center of the page. If you are looking for an exact phrase using two or more words, put them in quotation marks example: “bounty land”
3. Press the magnifying glass button to run your search.
4. When hits are returned for your search, the results will be returned starting with best results at the top.  Use the filters on the left side to narrow down your results.
   • Tips for Using Filters
     • Are you looking only for a photograph? Select Photographs and Other Graphic Materials
     • Many of our descriptions do not include digital images of the records, click on the filter Archival Descriptions with Digital Objects to see only descriptions with images attached
5. To view a description, click on the blue title.  

Tips for Searching for an Individual's Name

There isn't a specific field for names in the Catalog; as a result you many need to try several different searches using different strategies when searching for a name.

• Search on the person's full name in first name-last name order.
• Search on the surname only. The records might only include a first initial or a variant spelling of the first name.
• Search on variant spellings of the surname using OR, for example: Luchetti OR Lucetti.
• Search on variant spellings of the first name, including "Americanized" versions, for example: Joseph Maggio OR Guiseppe Maggio.
• Keep in mind that most descriptions in the National Archives Catalog do not include the names of individuals in that record. However, the National Archives still might have records about your ancestors. If you know an individual participated in event, search for that search term and look within the records for your ancestor.

 

Naturalization Record for Morres Dick, National Archives Identifier 7551610

Tips for Searching by Topics 

One of the best ways to identify records of genealogical interest in the National Archives Catalog is by topic. If you find a description without digital images attached in the National Archives Catalog, that may contain records about your ancestor, contact the staff in that unit. The contact information appears in the Archived Copies section at the bottom of the description.

Suggested Keywords

In these examples, we use quotations in Catalog searches around multiple words, phrases or words that we want to appear exactly as we have written them.  For more in depth information on how to search the Catalog visit National Archives Catalog Search Tips.

Follow the Clues!

The family history research you already compiled could contain valuable clues. Use these clues to identify National Archives records that would be useful to your research and go beyond the most common genealogical sources.

Three examples:

Clue: A significant decrease in income appears when you compare your ancestor's net worth between the 1860 Census and 1870 Census.
Records Worth Checking: Bankruptcy court records might contain a file on your ancestor. The Bankruptcy Act of 1867 allowed greater numbers of people to file for voluntary bankruptcy. Search in the National Archives Catalog for bankruptcy AND [state where you ancestor lived at the time].

Clue: You find a passenger list with your ancestor's name on it, and there is a Board of Special Inquiry stamp.
Records Worth Checking: The records of an Immigration and Naturalization Service inquiry might exist for your ancestor. Records related to deportation are also a possibility. Search in the National Archives Catalog for immigration AND "special inquiry".

Clue: Your ancestor was tried for a crime.
Records Worth Checking: A criminal case file might exist for the U.S. District Court in the state where your ancestor committed the crime. If your ancestor served a sentence in a Federal prison, there might be an inmate case file in the records of that Federal prison. Search in the National Archives Catalog for "criminal case" OR inmate.

Hot Topics

Many genealogists and researchers may find these detailed search pages helpful

• Resources for Genealogists  https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy
• Census Records  https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• Deck Logs  https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online
• Dawes Rolls https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/dawes/tutorial/intro.html
• Land Records  https://www.archives.gov/research/land
• Military Service Records  https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records#toc-instructions
• Office of Strategic Services (OSS)  https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/oss
• Alien Files (A-Files) https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/aliens/a-files-kansas-city.html
• Naturalization   https://www.archives.gov/research/naturalization/naturalization.html
• Microfilm Publications and Original Records Digitized by Our Digitization Partners https://www.archives.gov/digitization/digitized-by-partners
• Record Reproductions and Microfilm  https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/

Frequently Asked Questions