The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) is held at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. (Archives I), headquarters of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), official repository of the permanently valuable records of the United States government. Federal records document a wide variety of interactions between ordinary citizens and the government—in some cases providing unique genealogical information, and in others, biographical and contextual detail that enriches understanding of our ancestors’ lives.
Gen-Fed is geared towards experienced genealogists, archivists, historians and librarians to provide a unique opportunity to explore holdings of federal records unavailable elsewhere. The institute offers a one-week program on a wide range of government-based records which impacted ancestors. It has evolved throughout its history in response to growth in genealogical education, advances in record access, and changes in technology. A sample week of instruction (subject to minor changes) includes the following instruction and events, as well as research time set aside each day:
- Before attending: Videos are made available to students about the history of the National Archives, using and understanding the archival system and its finding aids, as well as a practical workshop on ordering records while visiting in-person.
- Monday: Welcome from the Archivist of the United States and archival staff, case studies on using federal records, where federal records can be found across the country, how to use the NARA online catalog, and underused records valuable for researchers. A trip to the Library of Congress usually happens in the evening.
- Tuesday: Land entry and homestead records, military bounty land records, an introduction to military records from the Revolution through the Civil War, and military records for WWI and WWII.
- Wednesday: Immigration & naturalization records, Congressional legislative records at NARA, still photography and film, and researching enslaved African Americans in Federal Records.
- Thursday: A trip to the NARA II facility at College Park, Maryland, plus lectures on its holdings given by archival staff, Native American records, and unique maps available for research.
- Friday: Lectures include obscure federal records, discussions on federal legal records, and a case study on utilizing records related to federal courts.
- Saturday: An optional tour of the Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution is followed an opportunity for hands-on research at the library.