Getting Started with Genealogy Research in the Federal Government provides a good overview of how to use government resources in genealogical research.
Contents
Key Resources
- Local History & Genealogy Reading Room (Library of Congress)
The Library of Congress holds one of the largest library collections in the world. Their Local History and Genealogy page provides research aids for using the collection for family histories. Keep in mind the Library of Congress is mainly a book collection, so little is available online. But, as with the National Archives, the Library provides extensive reseach aids.
- Research Topics Page (U.S. National Archives)
The National Archives provides additional access to their sites through their research topics page. Over 35 broad topics are highlighted and help guide researchers through various records available.
- Genealogists / Family Historians Page (U.S. National Archives)
The National Archives is a great first stop for those looking information on family members. Most records related to family history fall into one of five groups: Census records, Military records, Ship Passenger Lists (Immigration), Naturalization Records, and Land Records. Few of these records are available electronically, but extensive research aids are available to walk users throught the genealogy research process.
- American Memory
This is the digitized collection of material from the Library of Congress. There are materials such as the Congressional Globe and American State papers, as well as the papers of Abraham Lincoln.
Guides to Resources
Resource Exercises
Subtopic Resources
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