Curious about the most viewed and sought out documents in the holdings of the National Archives? Explore the Milestone Documents website! This newly redesigned website features digitized primary source documents that highlight pivotal moments in the course of American history or government.
The Milestone Documents website organizes the documents by historical era, and features an interactive timeline to explore documents chronologically. Each document has historical context and a transcript, as well as links to images in our Catalog and teaching resources.
Links to the National Archives Catalog are included for each document, enabling you to access all pages and high-res images of the document, as well as archival information. For educators, each milestone document includes a link to DocsTeach, NARA's online tool for teaching with documents, where you can find teaching activities that incorporate the document.
Continue to help transcribe the 1950 Census! The National Archives launched the 1950 Census website on April 1, 2022. We hope you’ve had a chance to search the 1950 Census and learn more about your family history and life in the United States in 1950.
You can continue to help refine our name index. Transcribe or submit name updates, which will improve the accuracy of the name index and make the records more searchable. The 1950 Census now has over 1.6 million names transcribed!
Help refine the 1950 Census name index
To help transcribe names, open any population schedule within the 1950 Census website. Click on the “Help Us Transcribe Names” button, and follow the prompts to verify your email address. Select a line and type in your transcription, and then click enter to submit! Your transcription will be indexed and searchable within 24 hours of submission.
Need ideas where to start? Interested in helping with more complicated forms? While you can transcribe any name or any page within the 1950 Census, we’ve identified several specific areas where we’d like your help transcribing. Visit our 1950 Census transcription project page to learn more about specific enumeration districts or areas where we could use help transcribing.
Do you have a question about a Milestone Document? We have dozens of existing questions & answers relating to many of the Milestone Documents on History Hub, or ask a new question of your own!
