In the NARA Coast-to Coast post last week, we discussed the general process for naturalization. This week we will focus on some of the exceptions to the normal process for minors, women, and aliens serving in the U.S. military. Naturalization and Minors (Children) Minor children were granted derivative citizenship when their father, or after 1922 … Continue reading NARA Coast to Coast: Naturalization, part 2
We’re launching a public wiki pilot project that will allow researchers, historians, archivists, and citizen archivists to create pages on records or themes. We need your ideas and enthusiasm to make the wiki a success. Please join us for the second planning meeting at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, on Wednesday, May 19th from … Continue reading Join Us May 19th for an Archives Wiki Planning Meeting
UPDATE: The custodial information presented in this post may be out of date. Please visit the Civil War Military Records Research page on archives.gov for information on how to order Civil War Pension Files. The following is a guest blog from Diane Dimkoff, director of the Customer Services Division. Most Union Army soldiers, their widows, or minor … Continue reading C and XC Pension Files for the Civil War
Are you planning to attend the National Archives' 6th annual Genealogy Fair? If so, we hope you'll come visit us at our exhibit tables. NARA's new Open Government Plan (PDF) highlights how crucial social media is to opening up the Archives and establishes the redesign of Archives.gov as NARA's "flagship initiative." Stop by, bring us … Continue reading Stop by to See Us at the NARA Genealogy Fair
The National Archives in the DC area has a lot of public programs. One of our most successful ventures is our Know Your Records lecture series. We present weekly lectures, both at the National Archives Building and the National Archives in College Park, on a wide variety of research topics. A year and a half … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Genealogy Programs at the National Archives Building
A couple of weeks ago I showed you an example of a Mortality Schedule. Today I want to show you another type of Nonpopulation schedule – this time an Agricultural Schedule. If you have an ancestor who was a farmer in the mid-nineteenth century, you may be able to find information about their farm. You … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Nonpopulation Census Records – Agricultural Schedules
On April 2, 2012, the Federal Census Bureau will be releasing the 1940 Census for public access. For many genealogists and researchers, the release of this census will open new insights into pre-war America, as well as provide opportunities for genealogists and family historians to continue their research into this most recent decade. Like all … Continue reading Question: Which U.S. decennial census is your favorite and why?
Most genealogists are familiar with the federal population census records and begin their research with these records. But did you know that the Census Bureau also took a series of Nonpopulation Census records between 1850 and 1880? They included mortality, agricultural, industrial, social statistics and defective, dependent, and delinquent schedules. These censuses cover the 12 … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Nonpopulation Census Records – Mortality Schedules
With records available in so many different formats these days, researchers are often faced with a choice – which indexes to use, the original microfilm and printed indexes or the newer online indexes? Both types have drawbacks. The microfilm and printed versions often have misspelled names. Also, they sometimes skip people entirely. My great grandfather’s … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Issues with Indexing
Most people have a relative or ancestor who either served in the military or fought during a specific war. Many researchers are unaware, however, that a significant distinction exists between volunteer soldiers and Regular soldiers, and that the two types of service are documented differently. Volunteers (citizen soldiers) were enlisted to serve during specific wars … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Volunteer vs. Regular Army service was documented differently.
