Home > State Library of Arizona > Collections > Federal Publications > Genealogy in Federal Publications
Selected Federal Publications of Interest to Genealogists
Collections of federal publications are often referred to as “Federal Documents” but
include only published items rather than individual records and manuscripts.
However, some groups of records and biographies have been published and
the State Library of Arizona's Federal Publications'
Collection includes Congressional and federal agency publications
on a wide range of topics including topics of interest to genealogists. |
For more information or to access a resource, select one of the following:
Federal publications housed in the Genealogy
Section
A few Federal publications are housed in the Genealogy section, for example:
- The American
State Papers series was published privately by authority of
the U.S. Congress between 1832 and 1861. It includes records
that were previously available only in manuscript format, such as land
grants and claims, as well as printed executive and legislative
documents. The series covers a period starting at 1789 and
ends with dates varying between 1823 and 1838. The set is
available on microfiche at the beginning of the CIS US Serial Set
and the volumes containing land grants and claims are also available
in paper behind the librarian’s desk in the Genealogy section.
(SuDocs No.: Y 1.1/2:28-36). These volumes are
indexed in two places:
- Grassroots of America: A Computerized Index to the
American State Papers: Land Grants and Claims (1789-1837)
with Other Aids to Research. Phillip W. McMullin,
editor. Salt Lake City, UT: Gendex Corp.,
1972. (Genealogy Call No.: 333.1 M16)
- CIS US Serial Set Index. Washington, DC:
Congressional Information Service, c1975-c1997. (Law and
Research Reference Call No.: 348.73 C74)
- African
American Research: Records of Post-Civil War
Federal Agencies at the National Archives. Reginald
Washington, compiler. Washington, DC: National
Archives and Records Administration, 2001. (Housed in the
Genealogy Section under Call No: 929.1 B627)
- Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United
States to the Twelfth, 1790-1900. Washington, DC:
Government Printing Office, 1909. (SuDocs No.:
C 3.2:P 81 but housed in the Genealogy Section under Call No: 312
U58) Includes maps.
- Civil War Manuscripts: A Guide to Collections in the Manuscript
Division of the Library of Congress. Washington, DC:
Library of Congress, 1986. (SuDocs No.: LC 4.2:C
49 and also housed in the Genealogy Section under Call No.:
973.78 L69)
- Generations Past: A Selected List of Sources for Afro-American
Genealogical Research. Sandra M. Lawson, compiler. Washington
DC: Library of Congress, 1988. (SuDocs No.:
LC 1.12/2:AF 8/4 and also housed in the Genealogy Section under Call
No: 929.1 A25L)
- A Guide
to Pre-Federal Records in the National Archives.
Howard H. Wehmann, compiler; revised by Benjamin L. De Whitt.
Washington: DC: National Archives and Records Administration,
1989. (Housed in the Genealogy Section under Call No:
016.973 W 41)
- Hoskins, Janina W. Polish Genealogy and Heraldry:
An Introduction to Research. Washington DC:
Library of Congress, 1987. (Housed in the Genealogy Section
under Call No: 929.3438 H35)
- Lavender, David Sievert. The Overland Migrations:
Settlers to Oregon, California, and Utah. Washington,
DC: National Park Service, 1980. (Housed in
the Genealogy Section under Call No: 979.02 L39)
- Spanish Name Book. [Washington, DC]: U.S. Dept.
of Justice, Immigration and Nationalization Service, [1973].
(Housed in the Genealogy Section under Call No: 929.4 S73)
- The Territorial Papers of the United States.
Washington: DC: Government Printing Office, 1934- .
(SuDocs No.: S 1.36:1-28 but housed in the Genealogy Section
under Call No: 973.08 T32 V. no.) This is a
collection of papers and correspondence from selected territorial governments.
- The
War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1901.
Includes an index. (SuDocs No.: W 45.5 but housed in the
Genealogy Section under Call No: 973.7 U58W)
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Examples of federal publications of interest
to genealogists
- Directories and lists of members of Congress, civil service
personnel, military personnel and pensioners
- Annual Register United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD,
1913-1947. (SuDocs No.: N 12.5:yr.)
- Army Register, 1951-1976. (SuDocs No.:
D 102.9:yr.; earlier see: W 3.11:yr. and M 108.8:yr.)
- Congressional
Directory. (SuDocs No.: Y 4.P 93/1.1/congress)
- List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883.
47th Congress, 2nd Session, Senate Executive Document 84.
(CIS US Serial Set on microfiche)
- Official Army Register, 1908-16, 1922, 1924-47.
Includes officers only and is arranged by service unit.
(SuDocs No.: W 3.11:yr.; later see: M 108.8:yr.
and D 102.9:yr.)
- Official Army and Air Force Register, 1948-50.
(SuDocs No.: M 108.8:yr.; later see: D 102.9:yr.;
earlier see: W 3.11:yr.)
- Official Register of the United States, 1933-1959.
(SuDocs No.: CS I.31:yr.; earlier see: C 3:10:yr.
(1895-1932, irregular))
- Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United
States Navy and Marine Corps, 1950-1970. (SuDocs
No.: D 208.12:yr.; earlier see: N 1.10:yr. and M 206.10:yr.)
- Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United
States Navy and Reserve Officers on Active Duty, 1971-1985.
(SuDocs No.: D 208.12:yr.; later on microfiche)
- State
Summary of War Casualties [Arizona]. U.S. Navy
casualties from Arizona during World War II. (SuDocs No.:
N 1.34:Ar4I)
- Guides and forms
- Family Ties in England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland:
Sources for Genealogical Research. (SuDocs No.:
LC 1.2:F 21)
- Military Operations of the Civil War: A Guide-Index
to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1861-1865.
(SuDocs No: GS 4.21:V.1-5)
- Plant a Family Tree. (SuDocs No.:
P 1.2:F 21)
- Records Relating to Personal Participation in World War II:
Military Awards and Decorations. (SuDocs No.:
AE 1.124:92)
- Using
Maps in Genealogy. (pdf) (SuDocs No.: I
19.2:G 29/28)
- Histories, biographies and bibliographies
- Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
(SuDocs No.: I 20.1:yr.)
- The
Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. (SuDocs
No.: D 114.7:AR 2)
- Breaking Codes, Breaking Barriers: The WACs of the Signal
Security Agency, World War II. (SuDocs No.:
D 101.2:C 64)
- Carl T. Hayden: Late Senator from Arizona:
Memorial Addresses and Tributes in the Congress of the United States.
(SuDocs No.: Y 7.1:H 324/1972)
- The Era of the Civil War, 1820-1876. This is
a bibliography. (SuDocs No.: D 114.14:11/2)
- Naval Documents of the American Revolution.
(SuDocs No.: D 207.12:9-)
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Examples of federal records, guides and directories
on the web
- Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Certificates
- Casualties by State - Korean and Vietnam War
- Census Records - Unites States
- AIS
Census Indexes on Ancestry.com
URL: hhttp://search.ancestry.com/oldsearch/rectype/census/ais/main.aspx
- Civil War Records - United States
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
URL: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
This system is hosted by the National Park Service and is a database
of basic facts about servicemen who served on both sides during the
Civil War. The information comes from 6.3 million soldier
records in the National Archives.
- Death Records - Social Security
- Social Security Death Index
- Geographic Names
- History of the United States
- Immigration and Naturalization Records
- Castle Garden: America's First
Immigration Center
URL: http://www.CastleGarden.org/
This site offers free access to information on 10 million
immigrants from 1830 through 1892, the year Ellis Island opened. Over
73 million Americans can trace their ancestors to this early immigration
period.
- Ellis Island records: American
Family Immigration History Center
URL: http://www.ellisisland.org/
This site offers access to the millions of records about people who
passed through Ellis
Island between 1892 and 1924 including: passenger names, dates
of arrival, ships of travel, age on arrival, and more.
- Library of Congress
- Local History
and Genealogy Reading Room
URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/lhgcoll.html
The Library of Congress has one of the world's premier collections
of U.S. and foreign genealogical and local historical publications.
This is a gateway to information about the collections and resources
available.
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
- Personnel Records - U. S. Military and Civilian
- National Personnel
Records Center
URL: http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/index.html
This site provides information about accessing U.S. military and federal
civilian personnel records.
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Additional resources
Federal Depository Libraries around the country have created finding aids
to help their clients understand the breadth of the resources available
in Federal publicationss collections. For example:
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