Navigating NARA: Understanding and Using Finding AIDS
Charles S. “Chuck” Mason, Jr., CG SM
Specializing in Death Records and Southern New Jersey Research
6909 Bethnal Court, Springfield, Virginia 22150-3062
703/569-3469
cgrs791@netscape.com
The National Archives and Records Administration includes numerous facilities
throughout the United States and houses millions of records. To efficiently research
these records, genealogists must understand where the records are housed and how they
are organized. The NARA staff has created numerous Preliminary Inventories,
Inventories, Special Pamphlets and Guidebooks to make using the National Archives
records much easier.
National Archives Buildings and Locations
The National Archives - Archives One, 7th and Pennsylvania Ave. N. W.,
Washington, DC
 The collection includes microfilm, microfiche, and textual records (paper
records).
 The collection includes census, military, immigration and naturalization, land,
post office, Congressional, and other records of interest to genealogists.
 The records most often used by genealogists include census, military,
immigration, and naturalization records.
Archives Two - University of MD, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD.
 The collection includes motion pictures, still pictures, maps, sound recordings,
and textual records (paper records).
 The records relate to foreign relations, commerce, labor, transportation, energy,
fiscal policy, and social issues.
 Military records start with WWII and the Nixon Administration.
© 2014 by Charles S. Mason, Jr., CG SM 6909 Bethnal Ct., Springfield, VA 22150
Certified Genealogist and CG are Service Marks SM of the Board for Certification of Genealogists ® used by the Board to identify its
programs of genealogical competency evaluation and used here under license.
Regional Archives
 There are sixteen Regional Archives.
 Each has records related to their region made up of a small group of states.
Example: The Mid Atlantic Region in Philadelphia covers PA, DE, MD and VA.
 Some records may also be in DC, but most are available only in the Regional
Archives.
 Most Regional Archives can only do a limited amount of research for customers.
(You may need to hire a professional researcher.)
Presidential Libraries
 Every President from Herbert Hoover to Bill Clinton has a library.
 Each contains papers related to the President’s time in office.
National Archives Lingo
Archives – Normally refers to the Archives Building in Washington, DC.
Finding Aids – Material used to learn about NARA records and how to find them.
Microfilm Publications – Any records that have been microfilmed and are sometimes
referred to as Micropublications. Either an “M” or a “T” precedes film numbers. A
publication preceded by an “M” normally has a “Descriptive Pamphlet” that accompanies
it. A publication preceded by a “T” normally does not have a “Descriptive Pamphlet”
that accompanies it, but usually has a list of rolls of film that are available.
NARA – National Archives and Records Administration.
Record Group – Related records organized together, usually for a bureau or department.
Example: RG 15 - Records of the Veterans Administration.
Series – A collection of records within a “Record Group” normally arranged by subject,
activity, or chronology.
Soundex – An index that assigns a numerical code to a group of similar sounding
surnames.
Textual Records - Paper Records.
© 2014 by Charles S. Mason, Jr., CG SM 6909 Bethnal Ct., Springfield, VA 22150
Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States
The guide describes the most common records used by genealogists including census,
immigration, naturalization, military, land, and other related records. The guide includes
a description of the records and indexes where available. The description includes a
general description of the records, the information included in the records, how they are
arranged, the format of the records available, and examples of many of the records.
Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States
This is a three volume set that describes the record in the custody of the National
Archives as of October 1, 1994. All records including textual, microfilm, cartographic,
architectural, and audiovisual are included in the descriptions. Volumes 1 and 2 are
arranged by Record Group and include the administrative history of the agency to which
the records belong, and an overview of the records. The overview includes the types of
records, the dates the records cover, the activities the records document, the format
available, the quantity of records, and where the records are located.
Descriptive Pamphlets
Pamphlets describe the agency creating the records, information in the records, how the
records are arranged, and if they have been filmed. Although not every DP is available in
hard copy, they were normally filmed at the beginning of the microfilm of those records.
Example: M1407 Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission
1871-1880.
Special Lists
Many of the special lists relate to maps and photographs that belong to various
government agencies. Example: Number 19, List of Cartographic Records of the General
Land Office. Others relate to special groups of records. Example: List of Free Black
Heads of Households in the First Census of the United States.
Preliminary Inventories
An initial inventory of records was done after they were sent to the National Archives by
a government agency. Example: Preliminary Inventory Number 124, Records of the U.
S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
© 2014 by Charles S. Mason, Jr., CG SM 6909 Bethnal Ct., Springfield, VA 22150
Inventories
A final description or inventory of the records of an agency done by the National
Archives staff. Example: Inventory Number 5, Records of the President’s Commission
on the Assassination of President Kennedy.
NOTE: Copies of Published Inventories, Preliminary Inventories, Descriptive Pamphlets,
and Special Lists are available from the Publications Sales Staff at 1-800-234-8861.
Most of these publications are free.
Microfilm Resources for Research, A Comprehensive Catalog
The catalog is arranged by Record Group and then by microfilm number. One exception
is Record Group 29, Records of the Bureau of the Census. This group is divided by the
year the census was taken and then by the microfilm number. Each description includes
the number of rolls of film in the microfilm publication.
Federal Population Census [1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, & 1930]
Catalog of National Archives Microfilm
Each catalog includes an overview of the census information collected and examples of
the census and soundex cards. The 1790-1890 catalog is divided by census year, then by
state and county. The section for 1880 also includes a breakdown of the soundex films
by state. The 1900-1930 catalogs are also divided by state and county and include a
breakdown of the soundex films.
Military Service Records
The catalog contains a selection of microfilm publications. The films are arranged by
Record Group. Each section includes a description of the filmed records and a list of the
microfilms. The records begin with the Revolutionary War through the Philippine
Insurrection and include military service records and veteran’s claims (bounty lands and
pensions). Although draft cards for World War I and some for World War II have been
filmed they were not done at the time the catalog was published.
Immigration & Passenger Arrivals
The catalog contains a selection of microfilm publications. The films are arranged by
Record Group. Each section includes a description of the filmed records and a list of the
© 2014 by Charles S. Mason, Jr., CG SM 6909 Bethnal Ct., Springfield, VA 22150
microfilms. The records include indexes and arrival records for the ports of Baltimore,
Boston, Galveston, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and
border crossings from Canada and Mexico.
Black Studies
The catalog contains a selection of microfilm publications. The films are arranged by
Record Group. It includes a description of the filmed records and a list of the microfilms.
Records related to African Americans can be found in many federal records. Some of the
Record Groups included in this catalog include records for the U. S. Congress, District
Courts, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Secretary of the Interior, Public
Health, Bureau of the Census, Military Agencies and many others.
American Indians
The catalog contains a selection of microfilm publications. The films are arranged by
Record Group. It includes a description of the filmed records and a list of the microfilms.
Most of the records in this catalog relate to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Secretary
of the Interior. Some other records from the Bureau of the Census, U. S. Court of
Claims, U. S. Senate, and Office of Territories also relate to American Indians.
Diplomatic Records
The catalog contains a selection of microfilm publications. The films are arranged by
Record Group. It includes a description of the filmed records and a list of the microfilms.
Records in this catalog are from the Department of State and its related agencies and deal
with foreign countries, including a few United States Embassies.
Master Location Locator
The locator is used to locate films available at NARA in Washington, DC. It is located in
the microfilm storage area on the 1st floor outside the microfilm reading room. The book
lists films by microfilm number, along with the title of the film, and the cabinet and
drawer number where the films are filed.
Selected Bibliography
1. American Indians. National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and
Records Administration, 1998.
© 2014 by Charles S. Mason, Jr., CG SM 6909 Bethnal Ct., Springfield, VA 22150
2. Black Studies. National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and
Records Administration, 1996.
3. Calendar of Events. Washington, DC: National Archives Trust Fund Board,
published monthly or bi-monthly.
4. Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States (General
Information Leaflet No.17). Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
Administration, 1993.
5. Diplomatic Records. National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and
Records Administration, 1986.
6. Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States.
Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 3 volumes.,
1995.
7. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States,
Third Edition. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration,
2000.
8. Immigration & Passenger Arrivals. National Archives Trust Fund Board,
National Archives and Records Administration, 1991.
9. Microfilm Resources for Research, A Comprehensive Catalog. Washington, DC:
National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and Records
Administration, 2000.
10. Military Service Records. National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives
and Records Administration, 2000.
11. Prologue. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration,
published quarterly.
12. Select List of Publications of the National Archives and Records Administration
(General Information Leaflet No.3). Washington, DC: National Archives and
Records Administration, 2001.
13. Using Records in the National Archives for Genealogical Research (General
Information Leaflet No.5). Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
Administration, 1990.
© 2014 by Charles S. Mason, Jr., CG SM 6909 Bethnal Ct., Springfield, VA 22150