The site contains news and analysis of workers' struggles, discussions and a constantly growing archive of over 20,000 articles contributed by our 10,000+ users ranging from history and biographies to theoretical texts, complete books and pamphlets. We have incorporated several other online archives over the years, and in addition have hundreds of exclusive texts written or scanned by or for us. We are completely independent of all trade unions and political parties; the site is funded entirely by subs from our volunteer administrators and donations from users.
Guide to getting started: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/help/getting-started-guide.html What will I find in AAD?
You will find in the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) resource online access to records in a small selection of historic databases preserved permanently in NARA. NARA has selected less than 1% of the data files in its holdings for public searching through AAD. We selected these data because the records identify specific persons, geographic areas, organizations, and dates. The records cover a wide variety of civilian and military functions and have many genealogical, social, political, and economic research uses. AAD provides:
-- Access to over 247 million historic electronic records created by more than 40 agencies of the U.S. federal government and from collections of donated historical materials. -- Both free-text and fielded searching options. The ability to retrieve, print, and download records with the specific information that you seek. -- Information to help you find and understand the records.
[NARA] will continually add more databases to AAD. Check back periodically and consult the What's New section of AAD.
For further information about all of NARA's electronic records holdings, including those not in AAD, see the Electronic Records Division table of contents page or the National Archives Catalog.
The databases in the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) resource are organized according to series and files and within the files, records. Some files consist of more than one data table. The series, files, and records are organized generally according to the way the creating U.S. federal government agency maintained the records and transferred them to NARA.
Two catalogues: Mesopotamia Commission (1917); Iraq "Chilcot" Inquiry
"More than a simple comparison of these two inquiries’ reports, we seek to unearth the unique methodology of state-led inquiries by analysing archival documents of the process. This project questions how public inquiries were established, who was invited to participate, and which voices were favoured. These questions allow us to understand how political cultures imagine what a ‘proper inquiry’ should look like, amplifying the voices and perspectives of certain individuals over others. Rather than providing an apolitical interpretation of events, inquiries privileged legalistic approaches to responsibility, hierarchising individual experiences and limiting the value of other sources of evidence. Thus, we argue that the inquiry is, in itself, a political act – not simply an extractive exercise – that empowers its non-judicial staff with highly significant decisions about the future of Britain’s self-image and perceived role in the Middle East."
The online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records.
The new Catalog focuses on scalability and is a new platform prepared for the future. In the next few years, NARA will grow to 500 million digitized pages. New back-end enhancements will ensure an improved search experience. The new Catalog makes it easier and more intuitive for you to find what you are looking for, and potentially discover related content of interest.