US Government Resources for Genealogists and Family Historians

The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., that serves as the library of the U.S. Congress and is essentially the national library of the United States.  Founded in 1800, the library is one of the two largest libraries in the world.  Its collections contain approximately 173 million items, including over 32 million books, and it has one of the world’s premier collections of U.S. and foreign genealogical and local historical publications. 

• General categories
• Genealogy and local history
• Preservation

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent federal agency of the United States government, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. 

• Catalog Guide for Genealogists & Family Historians
• Genealogical research
• Preserving family documents and photos
• Military records such as pension applications, etc.
• Veterans’ service records

General Land Office Records: Land Patents and more

Federal Land Patents offer researchers a source of information on the initial transfer of land titles from the Federal government to individuals. In addition to verifying title transfer, this information will allow the researcher to associate an individual (Patentee, Assignee, Warrantee, Widow, or Heir) with a specific location (Legal Land Description) and time (Issue Date). They have a variety of Land Patents on their site, including Cash Entry, Homestead and Military Warrant patents.