Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Today's post comes from Jim Zeender, Senior Registrar in the National Archives Exhibits Office. On October 1, 2016, the Mount Vernon Museum opened a new and groundbreaking exhibition called “Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.” The exhibition explores the long and complex relationship between George Washington and his slaves and his evolving attitudes … Continue reading Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon

A Trip to Williamsburg

Today's post comes from Jim Zeender, Senior Registrar in the National Archives Exhibits Program in Washington, DC.  In early September I had the pleasure of taking a train to Williamsburg, Virginia. I have taken trains to Philadelphia, New York, and New Haven numerous times. Overseas, I have been on trains in England, France, Austria and Switzerland. … Continue reading A Trip to Williamsburg

Gerald Ford: President and Veteran

In honor of Veterans Day, today’s post comes to you from Sanjana Barr of the National Archives History Office. On September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation returning the official date for celebrating Veterans Day to November 11. For the previous four years, Veterans Day had been observed on the fourth Monday in … Continue reading Gerald Ford: President and Veteran

The Election of 1800

Anyone who is a fan of the hit musical Hamilton knows the song “Election of 1800.” It depicts an infamous election that ultimately led us to change our Constitution. By 1800, the nation's first two political parties were beginning to take shape. The two major candidates for President were the Federalist President, John Adams, and the … Continue reading The Election of 1800

Documenting National Archives History

October is American Archives Month! We’re wrapping up our month-long series of blog posts about electronic records. Today’s post comes from Elle Benak from the National Archives History Office. On August 12, 2016, the National Archives transferred photographs from 25 years of our history into permanent storage. What makes this transfer so significant is that it … Continue reading Documenting National Archives History

Researching the Family Tree

October is American Archives Month! Today’s post comes from Elle Benak in the National Archives History Office. The National Archives has many records that can assist researchers in their search to discover their family history. In fact, from the 1970s onward, genealogical records have been the largest resource that draws people to the archives. Before 1970,  many … Continue reading Researching the Family Tree

Archiving the Digital Age

October is American Archives Month! We’re celebrating the work of archivists and the importance of archives with a series of blog posts about the electronic records. Today’s post comes from Elle Benak of the National Archives History Office. On November 28, 2011, President Obama signed a memorandum issuing an executive branch–wide order that all government … Continue reading Archiving the Digital Age

Helping the Public Use Electronic Records at the National Archives

October is American Archives Month! We’re celebrating the work of archivists and the importance of archives with a series of blog posts about the electronic records. Today’s post is an interview by External Affairs Liaison Meg Phillips with Lynn Goodsell and Ted Hull of the Electronic Records Division. Today I’m visiting with the Director of … Continue reading Helping the Public Use Electronic Records at the National Archives

The Challenges of Electronic Records

October is American Archives Month and today is Electronic Records Day! We’re celebrating the work of archivists and the importance of archives with a series of blog posts about the electronic records. Today’s post comes from Sam McClure, Electronic Records Program Officer in the Office of the Archivist.  With more than 12 billion pages of textual materials, … Continue reading The Challenges of Electronic Records

A Pioneer in Electronic Records

October is American Archives Month! We’re celebrating the work of archivists and the importance of archives with a series of blog posts about the electronic records. The National Archives has long been tackling the issue of electronic records. In the early 1960s, while looking at some Census Bureau magnetic tapes, Meyer Fishbein, then a member … Continue reading A Pioneer in Electronic Records