Notes from the Department of State to Foreign Missions in the United States, 1853-1906
A1, Entry 23; PI-157, Entry 23
Record Group 59, General Records of the Department of State
This database indexes the notes the Department of State sent to several foreign missions located in the United States – Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Prussia/ the North German Union/Germany, the Hanseatic Cities (Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck), the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The records are part of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Record Group 59, General Records of the Department of State. The notes cover a wide range of topics useful to genealogists, e.g., 1). Requests from Europeans for information on and assistance to their relatives in the United States; 2). Help finalizing estate matters, in particular ones in Europe; 3). Assisting American citizens overseas; 4). Ensuring that veterans of the American military and their families living overseas receive benefits they are due; 5). Questions about citizenship status; and 6). Coordinating extradition of criminals.
Search Results & Digitized Records
The database is name searchable. The results provide the file citations you need to access the digital images on NARA’s website and find the indexed letters, e.g., the document’s date, the volume where the State Department bound it, the page number that contains the note, the NARA microfilm publication number, the roll number containing the image, and the National Archives Identifier (NAID) you need to read the note online. Once you have those citations you can access the digital images National Archives website, www.archives.gov. The reference is M99, Notes to Foreign Missions in the United States, 1853-1906; NAID 597272.
Special Note on MAGS Index of State Department Notes to Foreign Consulates in the United States as Regards Germany and Switzerland
Prior to 1866, many of the mid-size German states established consulates in the United States. If you are searching for an ancestor prior to that date, you should include a search of the MAGS database indexing State Department notes to foreign consulates in the United States. For the states of Baden, Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Württemberg, you should extend your search of that database for records through the end of 1871. Beginning in 1872, notes from the State Department relating to requests from Germany went to the German legation in Washington, D.C. You will find those notes indexed in this database. The consular notes database also includes information about matters relating to Switzerland through about 1890.
Reference Report
For additional information on both databases, you should consult the reference report on the using State Department notes to foreign consulates and legations located in the United States. That report is available on the website’s members-only section.
Examples of Notes to the German Legation in Washington, D.C.
M99, Roll 32; NAID 216908236
