Explore History Hub’s New Home!

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Explore History Hub's New Home!

Animated GIF of an archivist and a researcher looking at a document together. Shelves of books and binders are behind them.

Are you stuck in your historical research? Have you hit a wall in your genealogy quest? Find your answer on History Hub!

We invite you to visit History Hub’s new home following the recent migration!

Free and open to anyone, you can ask questions and get answers from multiple sources including National Archives staff, other archives, libraries, museums, and a community of genealogists, history enthusiasts, and citizen experts like you.

Make History Hub the first stop in your research journey! Keep reading to learn how to make the most effective use of the platform!

Ask a Question on History Hub

Asking a question is easy on History Hub! Just go to History.gov and type your question into the “Ask” box. In a moment, answers to similar questions will appear:

animation showing a search for related questions on History Hub

Didn’t find your answer? See “Ask a New Question” below!

What do other users ask about on History Hub?

History Hub questions run the gamut from genealogy to military records to Native American history, and beyond! Think of it as a one-stop-shop for researching American history:

This user is searching for the immigration records of their Irish ancestors:

Questions about military awards and decorations are very popular, such as this Bronze Star inquiry:

screenshot of: Seeking records of father's Bronze Star

Another user is researching the background of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp where their father may have worked. Multiple users, including National Archives staff, have responded with recommended records and other suggestions:

screenshot of a History Hub question entitled: How do I find name of CCC camps near Roseburg, Oregon?

Find Expert Answers

Experts from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and other archives and museums will respond to these questions, followed by a community of dedicated citizen experts, providing guidance and their valuable experience.

In this example a National Archives staff expert responds to a user’s inquiry about Colonial-era maps of New York City, including links to multiple digitized records in the National Archives Catalog, as well as resources at other institutions:

Screenshot of National Archives staff response to a user’s inquiry about Colonial-era maps of New York City

Explore Communities

You can also browse a variety of topical communities within History Hub, like those for Military Records, Genealogy, or African American Records, which offer their own Blogs and Question & Answer Forums:

screenshot of History Hub's Genealogy Community

History Hub currently hosts 19 communities in all, including general “Researchers Help,” Military Records, Genealogy, Presidential Records, and more:

graphical list of History Hub's topical communities. Communities: Researchers Help Are you just getting started in your research? Have you reached a stumbling block? We can help. Citizen Archivists Meet other citizen archivists who transcribe documents and find or post new transcription challenges. Library of Congress CROWDsourcing A space for sharing and learning about By the People, the Library of Congress program that invites you to transcribe the Library’s collections. Join us as a virtual volunteer at crowd.loc.gov. Genealogy Are you just getting started in your family history research? Have you reached a stumbling block? We can help. Census Records Questions on Federal Census Records including population and non-population schedules of agriculture, manufacturing, mortality, social statistics, and others. Immigration and Naturalization Records Immigration-related records including passenger arrival manifests and border crossings, naturalization proceedings, alien registrations, travel documents, enemy alien regulations, immigrant exclusion programs, and other immigrant research topics. Military Records Help for civilians and veterans seeking information and military records, past and present. Army and Air Force Records Help for civilians and veterans searching for information and records of the Army, Air Force, War Department, Department of Defense & Intelligence organizations from the Revolutionary War to the present. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Records This community is for records relating to the US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard. The National Archives maintains the records of these agencies from their establishments onwards. These records reflect the evolution from the Revolutionary privatee Military and Civilian Personnel Records This community is for military, Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), civilian, Official Personnel Files, (OPF), and auxiliary military and civilian personnel records. Legislative Records Records of the House of Representatives, Senate, and legislative branch organizations and commissions. Presidential Records Questions and answers about records from Presidential administrations and the Presidential Libraries. African American Records Questions and answers about African American records and Black History, including records of enslaved persons, the Freemen's Bureau, Civil Rights, and more. Native American Records Ask questions and share information about locating and researching federal Native American Records relating to Tribal Heritage, Membership Rolls, and more. Women's Rights and Suffrage We can help answer your questions about the 19th Amendment and the history of the rights of women. Land Records Records of the General Land Office, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, including Land Entry Case Right of Ways, Mineral Survey, township surveys, and water rights. Court Records The National Archives maintains records created the Federal Courts: U.S Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, U.S. Circuit Courts, U.S. Territorial Courts, and U.S. Bankruptcy Courts. Foreign Affairs Records Questions relating to foreign policy and diplomacy of the United States, including records from the Department of State and related foreign affairs agencies. Technical Help and Support Help and Technical Support for History Hub, a support community managed by the National Archives for researchers, citizen historians, and archival professionals.

Citizen Archivists

There’s even a community for Citizen Archivists! Meet other members; share favorite records; exchange tips and suggestions! Past topics in the Citizen Archivists community include:

How to Transcribe Forms?

Tagging Multi-page documents

What activities can Citizen Archivists participate in?

screenshot of the Citizen Archivist community

Get Started on History Hub

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Creating a History Hub Account

Before you can ask a question or help answer a question, you’ll need to register for a History Hub account. History Hub accounts are free and only require a few basic pieces of information.

See How to Create an Account on History Hub to start the process ➔

Returning Users

If you are a returning History Hub user, you will need to reset your password and re-accept the community Terms of Use when you first login. Learn more.

Need to update your account? See How to change your information on History Hub and How to Change your Profile and Avatar Image.

Did you have a History Hub account but discovered it’s gone dormant? Accounts that have not been used for over 1 year are automatically deactivated. Email us at historyhub@nara.gov and we’ll be happy to reactivate your account.

Help with History Hub

vintage footage of two people repairing a car

Looking for guidance with the new site? See the growing collection of Help Files at: Getting Started.

Have you encountered a bug or other issue and need help? Please report any problems or ask questions in the Technical Help and Support Forum. (You may find your issue has already been reported and answered!)

Browse & Search History Hub:

researcher paging through a large volume

There are several ways to find what you're looking for on History Hub!

Browse History Hub:

When looking at a community (for example, the Genealogy Overview Page), the list of "Top Questions" will show threads from all the related forums (for example, general Genealogy topics, Census Records, and Immigration and Naturalization Records).

By default, this list is sorted by most popular for the benefit of new users looking for answers to common questions. However, there are several options to filter and sort this list:

screenshot showing forum filtering and sorting options

If you are only interested in one of the sub-communities (such as Census Records, Immigration and Naturalization Records, or general Genealogy), go to that forum directly.

Search History Hub:

Use the search bar in the header to search the entire site. You’ll be able to filter your search by specific Communities, Forums, or Blogs. Advanced Search provides additional search options.

screenshot of History Hub search options

Notifications, Updates, and Subscriptions

History Hub offers several ways to follow the content you’re interested in:

Forum Updates & Notifications

Interested in following a particular topic, such as Census Records, or Army and Air Force Records? You can get updates by email and on the platform for all new questions and answers in a specific forum. Click on any community’s “Question and Answer Forum” tab, then click the "Turn Forum notifications on" link in the sidebar of a Forum's homepage:

Genealogy Forum screenshot with arrows pointing toward Question and Answer Forums and options

Screen capture of the Forum Options block, showing the

Subscribe to Community Updates

You can choose to receive daily or weekly email updates within a specific community, including new blog posts and questions.

On any Community's Overview page, click "Email digest options" in the right-column sidebar:

Screen capture showing Community Options block, with

See How To: Get Notifications for more details on setting your notification preferences and unsubscribing.

Ask a New Question on History Hub

Animated GIF of a book with a large question mark on each page. A hand turns the page to reveal a new question mark on the next page

Once your History Hub account has been created, you’re ready to ask a question!

You can enter your question in the “Ask” field on the History Hub homepage, or within a specific community.

On the next page, add additional details to your question, including a succinct, descriptive subject, and any vital background information:

Screen capture of the Ask Question option, showing the fields needed to complete, as well as the all the details need to ask a question

Question tips:

Include any relevant details about your topic. Are you researching an individual such as a relative or ancestor? Names, significant dates, and places they might have lived are all critical clues.
Where have you searched? Reference any records, websites, and other sources that you’ve already checked.
All questions on History Hub are public. Do not include personally identifiable information (“PII”) of yourself or other living individuals such as Email Addresses, Social Security Numbers, Phone Numbers, etc.
All questions are reviewed and moderated to ensure they comply with History Hub’s Terms and Conditions. Questions are moderated and answered only on weekdays during regular business hours. Response times from National Archives staff can vary depending on workload and the complexity of your question.
Please do not submit duplicate questions as this only increases the workload for our moderation team and will slow the response time.
See How to Post a Question on History Hub for more guidance.

Have you found your answer on History Hub?

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If you found the information you were looking for on History Hub, please let us know! Reply to that question with your news!

Help Answer a Question on History Hub

History Hub depends on dedicated citizen experts like you to share your knowledge and vast experience with users new to archival and genealogical research.
How to - Help Answer a Question on History Hub

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide.

Do you work for a library, archive, museum, government agency, or other historical organization?

Contact us to learn how your organization can participate on History Hub!

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Questions or comments? Email us at catalog@nara.gov

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