An archive is not a library. You can search for an item in a library catalog and order it by call number. Questions relating to general historical or factual information, biographical information, and compiled, statistical information are usually better answered in a library. Unlike a library, an archive holds irreplaceable, original documents. When using an archive, you will need to identify the organization that created the records and the unit of records that might contain the information that you seek. For example, if you order a microfilm of World War I draft registration cards, you will get all the cards in a series, and will have to go through them to find your ancestor.
NARA houses records (mostly federal, but also personal records and everything in-between) created since America’s early days. Categorizing and cataloging such a wide range of materials is very difficult. Some of the kinds of microfilm records helpful to genealogists include census records on microfilm, military service, pension, and bounty land warrants compilations and indexes since the Revolutionary War. NARA also has naturalization applications and court records, applications for enrollment in Native American tribes, fugitive slave cases, and land records.
You can visit the National Archives and go through the records. You can see over 150,000 records online, and research for kinds of records online, you can order copies of records, or you can hire a researcher. You can even find NARA on Facebook, Twitter, Ember, YouTube, the Flickr photo site, and participate in the NARAtions blog! NARA offers tours, student internships, lectures, and workshops on genealogy using federal records for research.
NARA has an amazing but time consuming website because it has so much information to offer. http://www.archives.gov/ I would suggest you plan on several days just to explore the website, which will offer questions to consider before you try to research. Online they have hints, tips and even lessons on genealogy. They will guide you through the process of how to figure out whether they will have your record, as well as how to order it.
If interested in ordering old military records, the most basic questions you need to answer are: branch of service; conflict fought in or dates of service; Regular Army or volunteer; and, officer or enlisted. The two main repositories for records relating to military service are the National Archives and the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).
You can obtain copies of many records online or through the mail. You will need to get a specific form for the type of record you seek. For example you can order Passenger Arrival Records on NATF Form 81. The website will assist you in finding the correct form and in filling it out. Or you can write to: The National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. You may also call NARA at: 1-866-272-6272 or 1-86-NARA-NARA.
Smaller orders usually take about eight weeks. It is very much worth the effort; I have copies of my great-great grandfather’s Civil War records, and my fifth great-grandfather’s Revolutionary War record!
Editor’s note: This regular column is sponsored by the Aroostook County Genealogical Society. The group meets the fourth Monday of the month except in July and December at the Cary Medical Center’s Chan Education Center, 163 Van Buren Road, Caribou, at 6:30 p.m. Guests and prospective members are always welcome. FMI contact Edwin “J” Bullard at 492-5501. Columnist Nina Brawn of Dover-Foxcroft who has been doing genealogy for over 30 years, is a freelance genealogy researcher, speaker and teacher. Reader e-mails are welcome at ninabrawn@gmail.com.
