Papal visits to the United States

Pope Francis’s visit this September marks the 10th time a Pope has visited the United States. Since the Federal Government is heavily involved in a papal visit, and the National Archives holds the records of the Federal Government, we have documents related to all these events. The first Pope to visit the United States was Pope Paul … Continue reading Papal visits to the United States

Fifty Year Later: A Brief History of the Immigration Act of 1965

Today’s post comes from Rebecca Brenner, an intern in the History Office at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Fifty years ago on October 3, 1965, at the base of the Statue of Liberty, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. The act was an important milestone in American immigration … Continue reading Fifty Year Later: A Brief History of the Immigration Act of 1965

Shaking Up History: Curator Bustard’s Artifact of Choice

Today’s post comes from Meagan Frenzer, graduate research intern for the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. On display in the "Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History" exhibit at the National Archives in Washington, DC, is a silver cocktail shaker and six cups that once belonged to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As Governor of … Continue reading Shaking Up History: Curator Bustard’s Artifact of Choice

New Online Exhibit: The Temple of our History

Opened in 1935, the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, was created to hold the nation’s most important and influential documents in American history. The National Archives History Office has produced a new online exhibit on the National Archives Building, which is available in Google Cultural Institute. In the 19th century, historians and elected officials … Continue reading New Online Exhibit: The Temple of our History

Victory! Americans Everywhere Celebrated the End of World War II in 1945

(Today’s post is from Jim Worsham, editor of Prologue magazine, the quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration, and is based on a longer article in the Summer 2015 issue.) President Harry S. Truman watched the clock closely, wanting to abide by the agreement to make the historic announcement at the same time as … Continue reading Victory! Americans Everywhere Celebrated the End of World War II in 1945