USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island

Today's post comes from Allison Finkelstein, a historian with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services History Office and Library. The USCIS History Office and Library recently released a new documentary film project, USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island. From 1892 to 1954, the federal immigration service and its employees processed more than 12 million … Continue reading USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island

Discovering my family history: Genealogy at the National Archives

Today’s post comes from Garet Anderson-Lind, an intern in the National Archives History Office. As an aspiring historian, genealogy has always been an aspect of history that I have found interesting. Growing up I heard stories of older relatives and our strong German heritage, which inspired me to look deeper into our history and what … Continue reading Discovering my family history: Genealogy at the National Archives

Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files and the USCIS Master Index

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Visit the National Archives website for more information on our related holdings. Today's guest blogger is Zack Wilske, Senior Historian at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Chinese Exclusion Act case files held at National Archives facilities across the country provide valuable resources … Continue reading Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files and the USCIS Master Index

Staff from St. Louis are “unofficial rock stars” at National Genealogical Society conference

This post comes to us from Communications intern Lia Collen. Staff from the National Archives (NARA) at St. Louis participated in the annual National Genealogical Society’s (NGS) Family History Conference in St. Charles, MO, from May 13–16. More than 2,200 professional genealogists attended the conference. Access Coordinator Bryan McGraw and archivists Theresa Fitzgerald, Daria Labinsky, … Continue reading Staff from St. Louis are “unofficial rock stars” at National Genealogical Society conference

Virtual Genealogy Fair, October 28–30, 2014

Learn Genealogy from the Comfort of Your Own Home: The 2014 Virtual Genealogy Fair, October 28–30, 2014 Today’s post comes from Rebecca K. Sharp, Archives Specialist at the National Archives in Washington, DC.  Was your ancestor a drayman (cart driver), a hod carrier (a laborer who carried supplies to stone masons or bricklayers), a huckster (peddler), … Continue reading Virtual Genealogy Fair, October 28–30, 2014

Celebrating the life of an ancestor who was a “12 Years A Slave”

This past summer, Vera Williams attended her annual family reunion and Solomon Northup Day. The day honors her great-great-great grandfather, Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery in 1841. When Northup escaped, he wrote a book about his experiences and—most shockingly for that era—took his kidnappers to trial. The … Continue reading Celebrating the life of an ancestor who was a “12 Years A Slave”

Enemy Aliens in Kansas City

Today's post comes from Kimberlee Ried, public programs specialist at the National Archives in Kansas City, MO. After war was declared by Congress in April 1917, non-naturalized "enemy aliens" were required to register with the Department of Justice as a national security measure. A Presidential Proclamation of November 16, 1917, meant that "all natives, citizens, … Continue reading Enemy Aliens in Kansas City

The Real Widows of the Pension Office

Today's post was written by Pamela Loos-Noji, a former volunteer with the Civil War Widows Pension Project. The National Archives holds 1.28 million case files of pension applications from family members of deceased Civil War Union soldiers. A team of more than 60 volunteers, led by National Archives staff, is digitizing the files and placing … Continue reading The Real Widows of the Pension Office

The Crossroads of the Genealogy World

Today's post comes from Gregory Marose, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications Pennsylvania Avenue is synonymous with iconic destinations and extraordinary events. From the White House to the United States Capitol, the notable institutions that line the street have hosted many of America’s most momentous occasions. Last month, the National … Continue reading The Crossroads of the Genealogy World

Facial Hair Friday: The Enumerated Mustache

Don't be fooled by the sleepy demeanor of this mustachioed man. It's 1933, and the world is changing. And the Federal Government would be recording these changes on April 1, 1940. Over 120,000 enumerators would fan out across 48 states and 2 territories, with copies of this Federal Decennial Census Population Schedule. They would use … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: The Enumerated Mustache