AF-1272: Questions To Ask Before Using The National Archives

The National Archives can be one of the best places to turn to when you are trying to take family history research beyond names, dates, and family stories. It holds federal records, which can place an ancestor within the larger work of the United States government. That may include military service, pensions, immigration, naturalization, federal land, federal court cases, census schedules, Native American agency records, federal employment, maps, photographs, and other records created by federal offices.

At the same time, the National Archives can be hard to use if you begin without a plan. It is not one large family tree website. It is not a county courthouse. It is not a state vital records office. It is a federal records repository, and many of its records are arranged by agency, record group, location, court, military unit, file number, date, or subject.

That is why the best question is not, "Can I find my ancestor at the National Archives?" A better question is, "What federal record might have been created because of something my ancestor did?"

The National Archives recommends beginning with what you already know, then working toward what you do not know. That means you should gather names, dates, places, family members, and known events before you start searching deeper into federal records.

Before You Search, Know These Four Things

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/questions-to-ask-before-using-the-national-archives/

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