Researching Family History

AAHGS-DC is a non-profit membership organization committed to the history, genealogy, and culture of the African-Ancestored populations of the local DC, national and international community. AAHGS-DC encourages active participation in recording research and documenting personal family histories by promoting scholarly research, providing resources for historical and genealogical studies, creating a network of persons with similar interests, and assisting their members in documenting their histories.

Founded in 1896, the DAR Library is a specialized collection of American genealogical and historical manuscripts and publications, and databases available on-site. The DAR Library is free and open to the public.

The District of Columbia Archives holds historical and permanently valuable records of the DC Government such as birth and death records, wills, land records and marriage records. Please email archives@dc.gov to make an appointment.

The People’s Archive is the DC Public library's local history center made up of the Black Studies and Washingtoniana collections at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library and the Peabody Room at Georgetown Library. They can be reached at peoples.archive@dc.gov

Located at the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street SE, Washington, DC 20540. To learn more about visits, research and reference services, visit https://loc.gov/rr/

Howard University’s Moorland–Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) collects, preserves, organizes and makes available for research a wide range of resources chronicling the history and culture of people of African descent in Africa, the Americas, and other parts of the world..

The National Archives building (on Pennsylvania Ave NW between 7th and 9th) holds many resources related to local D.C. history.

A repository of materials relating to the Maryland Jesuits, Georgetown University, and slavery. This project was initiated in February 2016 by the Archives Subgroup of the Georgetown University Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation and is part of Georgetown University's Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation initiative.

The Washington DC Family History Center (FHC) is a branch of the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and is open for genealogical research by both church members and the general public. Email info@wdcfhc.org for more information.