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Mexico Research Outine |
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Table of Contents
Helps For Using This Research Outline
References To The Family History Library Catalog
References To Other Family History Library Publications
Internet
Finding Resources On The Internet
Map Of Mexico
Archives And Libraries
Archives In Spain
Mexican Archives
National Government Archives And Libraries
State Archives
Local Civil Offices/municipio Records Offices
Catholic Church Archives
Inventories, Registers, Catalogs
Biographies
Mexican Biographies
Cemeteries
Census
Searching Census Records
Church Directories
Church History
Roman Catholic
Chronological Table Of The History Of The Catholic Church In Mexico
Church Records
General Historical Background
Information Recorded In Church Registers
Locating Church Records
Protestantism In Mexico
Church Record Inventories
Church Records At The Family History Library
Records Not At The Family History Library
Search Strategies
Civil Registration
General Historical Background
Information Recorded In Civil Registers
Locating Civil Registration Records
Locating Records Not At The Family History Library
Search Strategies
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Records Of The Colonial Period (1492–1810)
Finding An Emigrant’s Town Of Origin
Emigration From Mexico
Immigration Into Mexico
Gazetteers
Finding Place-names In The Family History Library Catalog
Historical Place-names
Genealogy
Major Collections And Databases
Family Histories
Genealogical Collections
Historical Geography
History
Local Histories
Calendar Changes
Land And Property
Language And Languages
Language Aids
Maps
Using Maps
Finding The Specific Town On The Map
Finding Maps And Atlases
Military Records
Military History
Military Records Of Genealogical Value
Spanish Military Records
Locating Other Military Records
Minorities
Mennonities
The Latter-day Saints (mormons)
Jews
Chinese
Middle Easterners
Europeans
Names, Personal
Surnames
Given Names
Native Races
Nobility
Notarial Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Public Records
Social Life And Customs
Societies
Genealogical Societies
Historical Societies
Other Records
For Further Reading
Appendix A
State Archives Addresses
Appendix B
State Civil Registration Offices Addresses
Appendix C
Mexican Dioceses Archives As Of 1994
Appendix D
Civil Records In The Federal District, Guerrero, And Oaxaca
Guererro
Oaxaca
Mixe District (created In 1938)
Sola De Vega District (created In 1918)
Zaachila District (created In 1939)
Present-day Districts And Their Municipios:
Appendix E
1930 Census Of Mexico
Comments And Suggestions
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES Archives collect and preserve valuable original documents of organizations such as churches or governments that contain information about the populace. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm. This section describes the major repositories of genealogical and historical records and sources for Mexico. When one of these institutions is referred to elsewhere in this outline, return to this section to obtain the address.
If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the organization and ask for information about its collection, hours, services, and fees. Some archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before visiting the archives so you can use your time more effectively.
Records about the European discovery, exploration, and colonization of Mexico are found in the following archives:
Peña y Cámara, José María de la. Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla: Guía de Visitante (General Archive of the Indies of Seville: Visitor’s Guide). Madrid: Dirección General de Archivos y Bibliotecas, 1958. (FHL book 946 A2s; film 0896895; computer number 0306722.)
An additional description of the records at the Archivo General de Indias, and other Spainsh and Latin American archives that house documents of the Spanish American colonial period is found in:
Documentación y Archivos de la Colonización Española (Documentation and Archives of the Spanish Colonization). Madrid: Ministerio de Cultura, 1980. (FHL book 946 A3d; computer number 0258866.)
There are other published guides of the many archives in Spain. Look for these in your local libraries.
Mexico has several major types of genealogical repositories:
The Family History Library has microfilmed copies of many records from the Mexican national and state archives, libraries, and other record repositories.
The National Archives of Mexico (Archivo General de la Nación) is an important source of genealogical and historical information. It collects records related to Mexican history, culture, and people. Records of genealogical value at the National Archives include:
The Archivo General de la Nación is open to the public. Microfilm copies of some of the records at the archive are available at the Family History Library and other major archives and libraries. You may be able to purchase microfilms from these archives or request photocopies of the records by writing to:
Argena II: Documentos Coloniales (Argena II, Colonial Documents). Colima, México: Cenedic, 1995. (FHL compact disc no. xxx; computer number 0798177.) Describes 322 documental record groups in the National Archives. The records in the New Spain section of the archives consist of 115 record groups containing more than 41,000 volumes.
Archivo General de la Nación Guía General (General Guide to the National Archives). México, D.F.: Difusión y Publicaciones del Archivio General de la Nación, 1991. (FHL book 972 A3gg; computer number 0832077.)
Branches of the Archivo General de la Nación collect records dealing with specialized subject matter such as military records, industry, trade, commerce, and so on. You may want to write to these archives for more detailed information. For addresses of these archives, which are also located in Mexico City, write to the Archivo General de la Nación, or consult the following reference:
International Directory of Archives/Annuaire International des Archives. London: K.G. Saur, 1992. (FHL book 020.5 Ar 25 v.38; computer number 0036460.)
The states in Mexico have archives that serve as repositories for their own records. Each state has jurisdiction over its own archives, which are separate from the national archives, and its own criteria for retaining, archiving, and housing records.
Many records of genealogical value are kept by these archives. For example the states of Yucatán, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Mexico, Queretaro, Michoacán, Jalisco, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Aguascaientes, Durango, Nuevo León and Zacatecas have excellent records. The records of genealogical value at the state archives include:
Some of the state archives are open to the public. You may want to write to the archive you want to visit to ensure it allows researchers. Some archives may require a letter of identification. Addresses for each of the state archives are found in Appendix A and are listed in the following book:
International Directory of Archives/Annuaire International des Archives. London: K.G. Saur, 1992. (FHL book 020.5 Ar 25 v.38; computer number 0036460.
Addresses to these archives can also be found on the Internet at:
Many records in Mexico are created by the local government. Civil registration, including birth, marriage, and death records, started in 1859. Every municipio in Mexico has jurisdiction over its own archives, which are separate from the state archives. Two of the most important municipio archives are El Archivo del Municipio and El Archivo del Registro Civil. These offices are comparable to county courthouses in the United States. For more information about these offices and their records, see the “Civil Registration” section of this outline.
When a municipio was established, a municipal archive was also created to keep diverse documents such as the protocolos (notarial records), an important genealogical record that includes:
The records of the Archivo del Municipio have not been filmed, but you can write directly to the municipo.
A list of all the municipal archives in Mexico can be found in:
Guía General de los Archivos Estatales y Municipales de México
Archives in Spain
Archivo General de Indias
Avda. de la Constitución
41004 Sevilla, Spain
Telephone: 422-5158
Fax: 421-9485
Archivo General Militar de Segovia
Alcázar
40071 Segovia, Spain
Telephone: 43-65-11
Fax: 44-31-49
Archivo Central Militar del Servicio Histórico Militar
C/Mártires de Alcalá 9
28015 Madrid, Spain
Telephone: 247-0300
Fax: 559-4371
Archivo Histórico Nacional
A summary of the records preserved at the Archivo General de Indias is found in:
C/Serrano 115
28006 Madrid, Spain
Telephone: 563-5923, 261-8003-5
Fax: 563-1199
Mexican Archives
National Government Archives and Libraries
Archivo General de la Nación
Some helpful guides to Archivo General de la Nación collection include:
Eduardo Molina y Albañiles
Col. Penitenciaría Ampliación
Deleg. Venustiano Carranza
C.P. 15350 México, D.F.
State Archives
http://members.aol.com/mrosado007/mxstarc.htm
Local Civil Offices/Municipio Records Offices
Los Municipios de México (The Municipios of Mexico). México: Centro Nacional de Desarrollo Municipal, 1998. (FHL compact disc number 114.)
The Civil registration which began in 1859 is recorded in the Archivo del Registro Civil. Some Municipios had sub-offices (oficialia) in other towns within its borders. These sub-offices kept their own records. The sub-office records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under the name of the municipio civil registration office. Copies of the civil registration in the Archivo Municipal were sent to the state archives.
You can get information and copies of the civil records by writing to the municipio. If the local registration office does not have the early records, you may want to write to the state civil registration office. See the Spanish Letter Writing Guide (36245).
Addresses of each of the state civil registration offices are found in Appendix B and also on the Internet at:
http://members.aol.com/mrosado007/mxcivreg.htm
Catholic Church Archives
The dominant religion in Mexico is Catholicism. As of 1994, there were 14 archdioceses, 58 dioceses, and 7 territorial prelates in Mexico. Church records of baptisms, marriages, and burials are usually kept by local parishes. The diocese archives keep records pertaining to their priests and matters of church administration. You may write to a parish and request brief searches of its records. For more information, see the “Church Records” section of this outline.
Addresses of the Mexican dioceses as of 1994 are listed in Appendix C.
Helpful genealogical resources that cover Latin American History are also available at major libraries in Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, and the United States. Your local university or public library may also have useful information. Contact these libraries and ask about their collection, hours, services, and fees.
There are two types of libraries in Mexico, those sustained by government funds, and those owned by private institutions or individuals. The Asociación Mexicana de Archivos y Bibliotecas Privadas, A.C. (Mexican Association of Private Archives and Libraries, A.C.) has a publication called “Guía de Archivos y Bibliotecas Privados” that lists some of their libraries. The association’s address is:
The following library has an extensive collection of manuscripts and published sources
Most archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you visit or use the records of an archive so you can use your time more effectively.
Some of these guides may be available at a public or a university library or through an interlibrary loan system.
The Family History Library has copies of some of the published inventories. It also has other guides, catalogs, directories, and inventories of various libraries and record repositories. These types of records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under:
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Other Libraries
Calle Guadalajara #104
The following archive has an extensive collection of records on the southern Mexican states
Colonia Condesa CP 06140
México DF México
Telephone 286-8339
Fax 286-8558
Archivo General de Centro América
4a Ave 7-41 zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala Guatemala
Telephone 2-30-37 51-66-95
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
The Instituto Tecnológico has microfilmed a considerable number of records on northeastern Mexico The institute’s address is
Biblioteca Central
Ciudad Universitaria
04510 Villa Obregón México
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Biblioteca
The library of the University of Texas at Austin has over 600000 volumes in their Latin American history collection In addition to the book collection they have many microfilmed records from southern Texas and Northern Mexico
Carretera Nacional km 982
Sucursal de Correos J
Monterrey Nuevo León México
University of Texas at Austin
The Bancroft Library has a large collection of Latin American records. The library’s address is:
Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
Sid Richardson Hall 1-109
Austin, TX 78713-7330
Telephone: (512) 495-4520
Fax: (512) 495-4520
Internet: http://www.utexas.edu/
University of California
The University of Arizona in Tucson has some of the parish records of the state of Sonora. It also has a large collection of Latin American records. The university’s address is:
Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720
Telephone: (510) 642-3781
Internet: http://library.berkeley.edu/BANC/
University of Arizona in Tucson
Tucson, AZ 85721 Telephone: (520) 621-2211
Internet: http://www.arizona.edu/
Inventories, Registers, Catalogs
MEXICO- ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIESMEXICO, STATE - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
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Version of Data: 6/9/2001]