For this year’s American Archives Month, we’ve decided to highlight a lesser known role the National Archives plays in promoting democracy: the transition of Presidential records into Presidential Libraries. During the month we’ll be sharing stories from staff who have been involved with Presidential records moves. We’ll also highlight some of our 13 current libraries. … Continue reading The Big Move: From the White House to Our House
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
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
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
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
Today’s post comes from Darlene McClurkin, from the National Archives Exhibits staff. On September 2, 1945, in a formal ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan, representatives of the Japanese government signed this Instrument of Surrender, officially ending World War II. The terms called for “the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of … Continue reading On Display: The Japanese Instrument of Surrender
In celebration of National Dog Day, today’s post comes from Meagan Frenzer, graduate research intern for the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum maintains documents of critical participants within the FDR administration. This list includes prominent figures such as Frances Perkins, Harry L. Hopkins, Henry Morgenthau, … Continue reading The First Dog, Fala Roosevelt
Today’s post comes from Meagan Frenzer, graduate research intern for the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. Signed into law on August 12, 1955, the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955 (PLA) established a system to preserve and make accessible Presidential records through the creation of privately erected and Federally maintained libraries. The precedent for the … Continue reading The 60th Anniversary of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955
Today’s post comes from Alex Nieuwsma, an intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a milestone in American history. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it on August 6, 1965, marking the culmination of decades of efforts toward African American equality. The 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, … Continue reading On Exhibit: Voting Rights Act of 1965
Between 1961 and 1964, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) held a voting registration campaign in Selma, Alabama, a town known to suppress African American voting. When their efforts were stymied by local enforcement officials, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), led by Martin Luther King, Jr., pushed Selma into the national spotlight. On March … Continue reading On Exhibit: Bloody Sunday
