Research guides
Research Guides provide introductory guidance for researchers on many of our most popular subjects. These give a brief overview of the subject together with a description of sources held by The National Archives, with catalogue references for ordering documents and links to sources held in other archives. The National Archives has significant collections relating to the study of slavery and the slave trade, along with their abolition and suppression.
New for 2007
The National Archives has prepared a series of new Research Guides in collaboration with experts in the field and interested community leaders. A dedicated sub-group was formed under the User Advisory Group, which since 2000 has advised The National Archives on planning cataloguing projects, on language used in the catalogue and on new areas of research to be undertaken. This is the first time that The National Archives has attempted this type of collaborative approach in the compilation of Research Guides.
The Research Guides aim to introduce new researchers to the wealth of material held by The National Archives (as well as other archives) for the study of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade and their suppression and abolition:
- British Transatlantic Slave Trade: Introduction
- British Transatlantic Slave Trade: Britain and the Trade
- British Transatlantic Slave Trade: Abolition
- British Transatlantic Slave Trade: Slavery
- British Transatlantic Slave Trade: Emancipation
- British Transatlantic Slave Trade: Acts of Parliament
The National Archives acknowledges the contribution made by members of the User Advisory Group (Caroline Bressey, Louise Craven, Madge Dresser, Peter Fraser, Guy Grannum, Sara Griffiths, Georgina Kiani, Rachel Hasted, Steve Martin, John Oldfield, Angelina Osborne, David Richardson, Gemma Romain, Sam Walker, James Walvin, and Kristy Warren) in compiling these Research Guides.
Existing Research Guides
In addition, The National Archives has previously published other Research Guides which compliment the subject or expand upon some of the topics referred to:
- Unfree Labour: Family History Sources for Indian Indentured Labour
- Foreign Office Records from 1782
- How to use the Admiralty Index and Digest: ADM 12
- High Court of Admiralty
- Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies, 1574-1739
- American and West Indian Colonies Before 1782
- Merchant Shipping: Crew Lists and Agreements, 1747-1860
- Merchant Shipping: Registration of Ships, 1786-1994
- Parliamentary Records After 1500
- Port Books, 1565-1799
- Treasury Board: Letters and Papers, 1557-1920
- Probate Records
