Jim Thorpe was stripped of his Olympic gold medals in 1913, but it was not because of illegal drugs, cheating, or bribery. It was because of baseball. Thorpe was a Native American from Oklahoma. He went to the Sac and Fox Indian Agency school in Stroud, OK, but dropped out. Later he attended the Carlisle … Continue reading The Greatest Athlete of the First Half of the Century
Today’s guest post is by Bob Beebe, archives technician at the Federal Records Center in Lenexa, Kansas. Where’s the coolest place to work at the National Archives? The Ice Cube, of course! At the Federal Records Center (FRC) in Lenexa, Kansas, one storage bay stands out from all of the other rooms at our facility. … Continue reading Working at the National Archives: Inside the Ice Cube
It was a long, hard journey to the United States in the early 20th century, but even a successful voyage did not guarantee that the immigrant would be able to enter or stay. Deportation was a threat. When immigrants were deported, it could be because of serious crime like murder or petty crime like theft. … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Mustaches and Moral Turpitude
This is part of a series, written by Jim Zeender, devoted to letters written by the Founding Fathers in their own words and often in their own hand. Jim is a senior registrar in Exhibits. Shortly after the diplomatic break between John Adams and Count de Vergennes, Adams left for Amsterdam. Once there, he worked … Continue reading In their own words: Franklin, Adams, and Vergennes make peace (IId)
Today's blog post is written by Susan K. Donius and Sierra Gregg. Susan K. Donius is the Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives and Records Administration. Sierra Gregg is a summer intern at the National Archives and a senior at Truman State University in Missouri, where she is studying Computer … Continue reading Disability History from the Presidential Libraries
This week marks the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The National Archives holds many records that relate to American citizens with disabilities. From personal letters to historic legislation, these records from the Presidential Libraries provide insight into disability history. For the opening of the Public Vaults exhibition at the National Archives Building … Continue reading A letter to the President—in Braille
In the last post, we brought the Adams-Vergennes story up to their abrupt break in late July 1780. Adams departed for the Netherlands, where he hoped to raise additional funds for the United States war effort and make the United States less dependent on France. Meanwhile, Vergennes appealed to Franklin and through Franklin to Congress, … Continue reading In their own words: Adams, Franklin, and Vergennes (part IIc)
Today’s guest post is by Dana Roark, archives technician at the Lee’s Summit Federal Records Center. One of the most vivid memories I have of my first day at Lee's Summit, a? National Archives facility, was the drive in to my new workplace. As I rounded the corner of the driveway, I came face-to-face with the yawning black mouth … Continue reading Working in the National Archives: Caves
Today's post comes from Nikita Buley, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. “Attachments,” the current exhibit at the National Archives in Washington, DC, tells the stories of some of the millions of people who have entered and left the United States. One visitor, Pasquale Taraffo, came to the United States … Continue reading Plucked from our records: Pasquale Taraffo and the Harp Guitar
John Adams arrived in Paris arrived to find Benjamin Franklin being showered with attention (Ben Franklin at the Court of Versailles, ARC 518217) This is part of a series, written by Jim Zeender, devoted to letters written by the Founding Fathers in their own words and often in their own hand. Jim is a senior … Continue reading In their own words: Franklin, Adams, and Vergennes (part IIb)
