Today’s post comes from Rebecca Brenner, an intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, D.C. July marks the 25th anniversary of the historic moment when President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits employers, the government, and transportation, among other agencies and institutions, from discriminating against … Continue reading Towards Freedom and Equality: The Americans With Disabilities Act
Today’s post comes from Rebecca Brenner, an intern in the History Office at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In 1938 the von Trapp family singers were in danger. Baron von Trapp, a heroic Austrian sea captain in World War I, declined a commission to serve in the naval forces of the Third Reich. His … Continue reading Frances Perkins aided the von Trapp Family Singers
Today’s post comes from Tom Eisinger, senior archivist at the Center for Legislative Archives in Washington, DC. When Richard O’Bryen, captain of the Philadelphia ship Dauphin, penned his July 12, 1790, letter to Thomas Jefferson, he had been a captive of the Barbary pirates in Algeria for almost five years. This letter, and others, helped bring … Continue reading Pirates: An Early Test for the New Country
In 1797, President George Washington designated two acres in the heart of Washington City for use as a public marketplace. For the next 134 years, Center Market was a Washington D.C. landmark on Pennsylvania Avenue, until it was demolished in 1931 to make way for the National Archives Building. The National Archives History Office has produced … Continue reading New Web Exhibit on Center Market
For 18 months in the late 1940s, some of the nation’s most important historical documents toured the country in a traveling museum called the Freedom Train. The National Archives History Office has produced a new online exhibit on the Freedom Train, which is available in the Google Cultural Institute. Viewed by more than 3.5 million … Continue reading New Web Exhibit on the Freedom Train
Today’s post comes from Rebecca Brenner, an intern in the History Office at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. For almost a half-century, the National Archives has held an annual birthday party on July 4, at the document’s home at the National Archives in Washington, DC. This timeline marks the significant milestones in Archives Fourth … Continue reading Annual Birthday Party for the Declaration of Independence
Today’s post comes from Emily Niekrasz, an intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. In March 2015 the National Archives opened “Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History,” a new exhibit that explores the complex love-hate relationship between America and alcohol. The exhibit’s curator, Bruce Bustard, has written, “These two different views of alcoholic … Continue reading On Exhibit: The American Debate about Alcohol Consumption During World War II
Today’s post comes from Meagan T. Frenzer, graduate research intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. On June 20, 1782, the Confederation Congress approved and finalized the first Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress in 1776 originally commissioned Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to create a … Continue reading The Great Seal: Celebrating 233 Years of a National Emblem
Today's post, in honor of Flag Day, comes from Alex Nieuwsma, an intern in the National Archives History Office. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the Stars and Stripes as the National Flag of the United States of America. Through its many changes and iterations, the American flag has come to … Continue reading The American Flag
Today the Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognizable containers in the world, but a century ago nearly all soda bottles looked the same. Design patent No. 48,160 for bottle or similar article, November 16, 1915. (Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, National Archives) To distinguish its product from competitors, in 1915 the … Continue reading The Coca-Cola Bottle: Celebrating 100 Years of an American Icon
