The National Archives and Records Administration is the premier repository for textual records in the United States, and in recent years their digital collections have grown impressively, but did you know NARA also has an outstanding series of online essays that educate genealogists on a variety of topics?

The “Resources for Genealogists” area of NARA is robust and highly instructive.  Explore links to a series of essays on popular genealogical topics, and you will find it more than worth your time.  The essays go into depth, describing the content, history, value, and use of federal records, with plenty of additional links to keep you exploring and learning.

Some of the research topics include:

• African American Research
• Census Records
• Congressional Records: Private Land Claims and Private Legislation
• Court Records
• Ethnic Heritage Research and Resources
• Federal Employees
• Immigration and Naturalization
• Income Tax of the Civil War Years
• Internal Migration
• Land Records
• Maritime
• Military Records
• Native American Records
• Passport Applications
• Post Office Records
• Pre-Federal Records
• Prisons
• Social Security Records
• Vital Records
• Women

Regional Archives are branches of the National Archives located across the country.  Guides to the holdings at these repostitories are valuable tools for accessing the records you seek at any of these facilities.  Another great resource on the NARA website is their selection of online finding aids for federal records, helping researchers navigate the unique organizational structure of these collections.