Find your family in federal records: National Archives kicks off annual online Genealogy Series for May, June 2024

Participate in our free genealogy series!

WHAT: Join our National Archives experts as they present sessions during our annual online Genealogy Series on YouTube. This educational series will teach you how to use federal resources at the National Archives for genealogical research. Sessions are intended for beginners to experienced family historians—all are welcome! 

Lecture schedule, topic descriptions, videos, and handouts are available  at the 2024 Genealogy Series web page.  

 WHEN: May & June 2024—all sessions take place on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. ET

• May 21 Welcome from Dr. Colleen Shogan, Archivist of the United States; Passport Records: Passport Applications at the National Archives, 1790s–1925 

• May 28 After Their Service: Tracing the Lives of Native American Army Scouts​ 

• June 4 Captured German Records Related to American Prisoners of War During World War II 

• June 18 Alien Files (A-Files): Researching Immigrant Ancestors at the National Archives 

• June 25 World War II Enemy Alien Records Related to Japanese Americans at the National Archives; Closing Remarks 

WHO: National Archives experts in government records will broadcast from facilities nationwide.

• Claire Kluskens, Subject Matter Expert for Genealogy and Census Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, DC

• Cody White, Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives at Denver, CO

• Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert in Modern Military Records and an archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD

• Elizabeth Burnes, Subject Matter Expert for Immigrant Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives at Kansas City, MO

• David Castillo, archives specialist at the National Archives at College Park, MD 

• Ruth Chan, Subject Matter Expert for Asian American and Pacific Islander Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives at San Francisco, CA 

• Katharine Seitz, archives specialist at the National Archives in Washington, DC

WHERE: The series will be broadcast on the U.S. National Archives YouTube channel. 

HOW: Watch the broadcasts on YouTube. Participants can watch individual sessions, ask questions, and interact with presenters and other family historians. No need to register—just click the links on the schedule to view the sessions! Videos and handouts will remain available after the event. For more details, go to the 2024 Genealogy Series web page.

• Captioning is available; just select the CC icon at the bottom of the YouTube video. 

• Transcripts are available; send a request to KYR@nara.gov. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for the event, please email KYR@nara.gov.

Share on social: Use #GenealogySeries2024 to join the genealogy conversation!
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LinkedIn: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Background: The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census, and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. See “Resources for Genealogists” online.