Historical Records Survey

Historical Records Survey. It was a major New Deal project established under the Works Progress Administration in 1935 during the Great Depression. The primary mission was to provide employment for out-of-work historians, teachers, librarians, and archivists while identifying, organizing, and preserving America's documentary heritage. It became one of the most significant archival and historical inventory projects in U.S. history, operating until its termination in 1943 amid the shifting priorities of World War II.

Background and establishment

The survey was created during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of a broader federal response to widespread unemployment. It emerged from the earlier, short-lived Historical Records Survey of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Key advocates within the WPA, including national director Luther H. Evans and noted archivist Sargent B. Child, argued for a systematic national effort to safeguard historical materials. The project was formally authorized by WPA head Harry Hopkins, aligning with the cultural missions of other New Deal agencies like the Federal Writers' Project and the Federal Art Project.

Scope and objectives

The primary objective was to conduct a comprehensive inventory of historically valuable records across all levels of government and in private hands. This included surveying and cataloging materials in county courthouses, town halls, church archives, and repositories of organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution. A major focus was creating guides to manuscript collections and publishing inventories of federal records in each state. The project also aimed to locate and document vital records, newspapers, and American imprints, with the goal of creating a national union catalog to aid researchers and the public.

Major projects and accomplishments

Its most enduring contributions were the extensive inventories of county archives, which documented holdings in thousands of county seats nationwide. The survey produced guides to the records of several major cities, including Baltimore and New Orleans, and cataloged collections at institutions like the Library of Congress. It also undertook the ambitious "American Imprints Inventory" to locate every pre-1877 publication. Furthermore, the project documented ethnic group records, such as those of German Americans in Pennsylvania, and assisted in the preservation efforts of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Administrative structure and workforce

The program was administered from a national office in Washington, D.C., with state branches operating under the supervision of local WPA administrators. Each state had a director, often a professional archivist or historian, who supervised district and county-level workers. The workforce, which at its peak employed over 4,000 individuals, included many women and was composed largely of white-collar professionals displaced by the Great Depression. Notable figures who worked for or advised the survey included archivist Philip Hamer and historian Merrill Jensen, contributing to its professional standards.

Legacy and impact

Despite its abrupt end in 1943, the survey left a profound legacy, fundamentally shaping the practice of archival science and public history in the United States. Its vast, unpublished manuscript inventories remain essential tools for genealogists and historians at repositories like the Library of Congress and various university libraries. The project demonstrated the value of systematic, government-sponsored historical documentation, influencing later programs such as the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Its work provided the foundational knowledge that fueled post-war historical scholarship and continues to be cited in major works on American history.

Category:Works Progress Administration Category:New Deal agencies Category:Archives in the United States Category:Defunct agencies of the United States government