Microfilm Collection at the National Archives at Seattle
At the National Archives at Seattle, we have a large collection of microfilm published by the National Archives. Our collection has more than 1,000 different microfilm publications with reproductions of original records of the United States Federal government.
For more information on how to use the microfilm collection, please visit Plan Your Research Visit.
If you would like a comprehensive list of all the microfilm publications we have at Seattle, you can either contact us or check out the National Archives Microfilm Catalog. At the National Archives Microfilm Catalog, you can perform an advanced search by viewing location, which will produce a list of the microfilm we have available.
The National Archives has worked with several different partners to digitize select microfilm publications. You can find more information on the publications that have been digitized and where they are available online here.
If you have any questions or concerns, the best thing to do is contact us via phone or email.
Microfilm Series by Subject
African Americans: Records on microfilm related to slavery, the colonization of Africa, service records, and the Reconstruction era. Some of these records have been digitized and are available in the National Archives Catalog or on our partner sites.
American Indians: These records on microfilm include tribal treaties, censuses, enrollment files, correspondence, and other general records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Some of these records have been digitized and are available in the National Archives Catalog or on our partner sites.
Census: Records on microfilm include the Federal Censuses of 1790-1930, census enumeration districts, non-population schedules, and some territorial censuses. Many of these publications are available on-line digitally on our partner sites.
Courts, Law Enforcement, & Prisons: Microfilm includes records of U.S. District Courts of territories and states, case files for significant federal cases, records of presidential pardons, Department of Justice records, and records of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Emerging Nation: Microfilm includes records created by the Continental Congress and records related to the legislation created in the first few decades following the Revolutionary War. There is also a microfilm publication of audit registers of miscellaneous Treasury accounts from the first auditor’s office.
Expeditions, Exploration, & Surveys: Records on microfilm related to the exploration of North America, exploring and scientific surveys, and the colonization of Africa.
Foreign Affairs: Microfilm of records of the Department of State including 19th and early 20th century correspondence files for some U.S. and foreign ministers and from selected U.S. consular offices in countries worldwide. Many of these microfilm publications have been digitized and are now available online through the National Archives Catalog
Immigration & Naturalization: Microfilm of records of the U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Customs Service, the Department of State, the Immigration & Naturalization Service, and other federal agencies. Some of these publications are available on-line digitally on our partner sites.
Land Management: Records of various land management agencies relating to the administration, settlement, development, and scientific study of public lands.
Maritime: Microfilm of records created by the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs Service, the Bureau of Marine Inspection & Navigation, and the Department of the Treasury Customs Service. The microfilm publications organized into this subject heading do not relate to military vessels.
Military: We have several different types of records on microfilm related to the United States military. We have selected pension records, service records, enlistment and muster rolls, and draft cards. We have microfilm of records related to the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Florida War, the Mexican American War, the Civil War (Union & Confederate), the Spanish-American War, and World War I. Many of the publications relating to the 18th and 19th centuries have been digitized and are available on-line through our partner sites.
Our microfilm collection related to World War II also includes publications related to the Holocaust, the Manhattan (atomic bomb) Project, and the Third Reich seized at the end of the war.
Postal: Microfilm of records of the Post Office Department, including records of appointments of postmasters and reports on building site locations.
Presidents: We have several microfilm publications consisting of correspondence between Presidents and their Secretaries of State as well as publications consisting of case files of individuals applying or being recommended for Presidential appointments to Federal jobs.
Territories: Microfilm of Federal records related to states during their territorial period. Most of the microfilm publications are Territorial Papers from the Departments of the Interior and State. There is also a microfilm publication of the records of the Russian-American Company operations in Alaska as well as a series of logbooks from the Pribilof Islands Fur Seal Program. The Pribilof Island Logbooks have been digitized and are available in the National Archives Catalog.