R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

District of Columbia
Research Outline
   

Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers And Obituaries
Periodicals
Probate Records
Taxation
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

COURT RECORDSLook this term up in the glossary.

Major courts that kept records of genealogical value were established as follows:

1801-1863 Circuit court Look this term up in the glossary.kept records of civilLook this term up in the glossary. and criminalLook this term up in the glossary. cases.
1863-1928 Supreme court replaced the circuit court.
1928-pres. Superior court Look this term up in the glossary.replaced the supreme court.
1801-1871 Levy courtLook this term up in the glossary. governed Washington County outside the City of Washington and assessed taxes.
1800s-pres. District courtLook this term up in the glossary. for the District of Columbia is the federal court that serves the general area, with jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases.

The Family History Library has copies of a few District of Columbia court records, but most are at the National Records Center in Suitland, Maryland. That collection includes Washington County District Court docketLook this term up in the glossary. books (1801-40), minuteLook this term up in the glossary. books (1801-42), case papers (1802-40), and indenturesLook this term up in the glossary. of apprenticeship (1801-74).

The Virginia State Library has circuit court order books (1801-27) and minute books (1825-46), and U.S. district court minute books (1801-25).


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DIRECTORIESLook this term up in the glossary.

DirectoriesLook this term up in the glossary. of heads of households have been published for the District of Columbia. For example, the Family History Library has directories for:

•1822-1860 FHL fiche 6044618-28
•1862-1935 FHL films 1377578—
•1889-1928 FHL book 975.3 E4b
•1941 FHL film 1320614
•1956, 1960 FHL book Q 975.3/W1 E4p

The library also has a prominent citizens directory for the years 1908-9 (FHL film 1000157).

These and additional directories for Washington and Georgetown are also at the Library of Congress.


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EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATIONLook this term up in the glossary.


ImmigrantsLook this term up in the glossary.

The first land grants to English settlers, in what is now the District of Columbia (then Charles County, Maryland), were made in 1663. Scottish immigrants founded Georgetown in 1751. Only a few people lived in the area when the federal government offices were moved there from Philadelphia in 1800. The city grew slowly until the 1860s, when the population more than doubled during and after the Civil WarLook this term up in the glossary..

The District of Columbia did not attract much overseas immigration during the nineteenth century, but a large transient population came from all parts of the nation to work as government officials and congressional staffers. Permanent residents also came from all of the states, but especially from the middle Atlantic region and from the upper tier of southern states.

Black Americans constituted about one-fifth of the population prior to the Civil War and one-third after. By 1970, the population of the District of Columbia was 70 percent black. Slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia in 1862. Records of slave emancipations and manumissions from 1851 to 1863 are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Locality Search under DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - SLAVERY AND BONDAGE. Additional records on blacks are in the National Archives.


Passenger ListsLook this term up in the glossary.

The port of entry in the District of Columbia was Georgetown, but most ship passengers whose official arrival records date from 1800 landed at Baltimore and Philadelphia. The Family History Library and the National Archives have passenger lists for Georgetown only for the years 1820 and 1821 (FHL film 830234). More detailed information on immigration sources is in the United States Research Outline.

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