For more information about using the SSDI, see Social Security Death Index - FAQ.

To search the SSDI online:

• Social Security Death Index Interactive Search at RootsWeb
• Social Security Death Index (SSDI) at Ancestry.com

World War I Draft Registration
Every man was required to register for the draft during WWI, whether a citizen of the U.S. or an alien.  All men born between 6 June 1886 and 5 June 1896 were required to register with their local draft board.  Here is the breakdown for the three draft registrations:

• JUNE 5, 1917 -- All men between 21-31 years of age.
• JUNE 5, 1918 -- All men who had become 21 since June 5, 1917.
• AUGUST 24, 1918 -- All men who had turned 21 since June 5, 1918. (Considered a supplement to the June 5, 1918 registration.)
• SEPTEMBER 12, 1918 -- All men between 18-21 and 31-45 years of age.

For more information:
World War I Draft Registration Cards
World War I Draft Registration Cards -- from the JewishGen.org site

World War II Draft Registration
Only the registration cards of men born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897 are currently available to the public.  To date, only the registration cards for the following states and U.S. territories are available: Arkansas (incomplete), California (incomplete), Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana (incomplete), Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (incomplete), Ohio (incomplete), Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.  Unfortunately, the draft registration cards for the following states were erroneously destroyed without being microfilmed: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. 

For more information:
World War II Draft Registration Cards -- Ancestry.com, requires subscription
United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 -- from FamilySearch.org's Record Search, free site, browse images only (no search capability)

Alien Registration Records
In July 1940, every alien resident of the United States was required to register with his/her local Post Office.  Aliens were fingerprinted and had to fill out a two-page form which contained detailed information such as the name used at the time of entry to the U.S., other names used (nicknames, maiden names, aliases), exact date of birth, exact place of birth (city, province, country), and the date of first entry into the U.S.  For some of us, whose ancestors never became citizens of America, this may be an incredibly valuable resource for finding the exact place of his/her birth.

Alien Registration Records, 1940-1944 -- from the USCIS website

Russian Consular Records
Many Poles who came from the Russian-occupied areas of Poland corresponded with the Russian consular offices in America.  Information contained in these records may include nationality certificates, certificates of origin, visa applications, canceled passports, birth/baptismal/marriage records, ship arrival information, and military service information.  Even if your ancestor did not correspond with the Russian Consulate, a relative or friend may have referenced your ancestor in some correspondence.  In this case, your ancestor will appear in the index.  Don't ignore this resource because you assume that your ancestor would have had no reason to contact the Russian Consulate!

The Latter Day Saints (LDS) have microfilmed these records, and they are available through their Family History Centers (FHC).  The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) also has these records on microfilm.  Also, an index to these records was published by Sallyann Sack and Suzan F. Wynne, The Russian Consular Records Index and Catalog (New York: Garland, 1987), which uses a Soundex code.

The Russian consular records for Canada for the years 1900-1922 can be found at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa.

Records of Former Russian Agencies -- explanation of records available and where to find them

Records of the Imperial Russian Consulates in the United States, 1862-1922 -- explanation of records available and where to find them; in PDF format

Records of the Imperial Russian Consulates in Canada, 1898-1922 -- explanation of records available and where to find them; in PDF format

Records of the Imperial Russian Consulates in the United States, 1862-1922 -- excellent explanation of these microfilmed records and how to use them

United States Passport Office
If your ancestors ever returned to Poland or traveled to another country, he/she may have obtained a passport to prove U.S. citizenship.  Passports were not required for traveling outside of the country, but many citizens obtained them.

The application for a passport usually contains the name, age, personal description, place of residence, date and court of naturalization for naturalized citizens, and the names/number of family members accompanying him/her.  Sometimes, more specific data is given, including exact date/place of birth, date/place of port of arrival into the U.S., and name of vessel.  Note:  To obtain records you must know the approximate date of application and the full name and residence of the person at the time of the application.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES
The National Archives Building in Washington DC has passport applications through March 31, 1925.  Indexes are only available through 1923.  Many of the indexes to the passport applications, as well as a number of actual applications, have been microfilmed.  Many of the microfilm series are available in the Regional Archives Records Service Centers.

Some of these microfilms have been purchased by libraries or other research institutions and may be available in private research centers or through inter-library loan from them.  Your local librarian can probably assist you in looking into this.

For more information, contact the following archival unit:

National Archives and Records Administration
Civil and Old Military Reference Staff
NWCTB, Room 11E
7th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20408

FAX: 202-219-6273
Telephone: 202-501-5395

STATE DEPARTMENT
The State Department Passport Services has passport application from 1925 to the present.  It also has the indexes for 1923-1925.

For instructions on getting passport information from the State Department, see http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/passport/.

Write to:

Research & Liaison Branch
1111 19th Street NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20524

For more information on U.S. passport applications, visit:

• Passport Applications - from the National Archives and Records Administration web site.

If you are a subscriber to Ancestry.com's online databases, you can also access these records through your subscription:

• U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Libraries
Family History Library
One of the largest genealogical libraries is, of course, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and its various branches called FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS.  It is the biggest repository for genealogical records in the world.  Their vast collection includes church and civil records, census records, passenger lists, military records, court records, and other records from more than 45 countries around the world.

Polish Museum of America Archives and Library
The library and archives contains thousands of sources for researching Polish ancestry.  Books, periodicals, manuscripts, documents, microfilmed copies of Polish-American newspapers from various cities, maps, and photographs make up their vast collection.  The headquarters for both the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) and the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA) are housed here.

984 N Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622-4101
e-mail: PGSAmerica@aol.com

The Chicago Public Library
The Polish Language Collection at the Portage-Cragin Branch Library has been collecting Polish language and English language materials about Polish history and culture since 1984.   They have thousands of books, hundreds of videos, and hundreds of back issues of Polish language magazines.  A full-time Polish-speaking reference librarian is on hand to help researchers.

Polish Fraternal Benefit Societies
These benefit societies were formed when Poles began to immigrate to the U.S. and were originally set up to provide life insurance benefits to Poles in America.  After a while, these societies also became known for their benevolent works and social gatherings.

Many of these societies have retained their death claims files.  These files include the insurance applications which contain the applicant's name, year and place of birth, address, medical history and physical description.  Some applications may have information about the applicant's parents.

Before you request a copy of records from one of these societies, be sure your ancestor was a member.