On November 19, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park, NY—the first Presidential library within the National Archives. In front of an estimated 1,000 onlookers, Roosevelt placed inside the cornerstone a metal box containing several items including the Articles of Incorporation of the Franklin D. … Continue reading Laying the cornerstone for the FDR Library
Today's post comes from Alan Walker, an archivist in the Textual Processing unit in the National Archives at College Park, MD. In celebration of American Archives Month, Alan gave a talk on interesting finds in the Records of the National Archives. You can view Alan's talk on the National Archives YouTube Channel. What’s so great … Continue reading Discovering “Origin Stories” of the National Archives
On Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allied Forces at the end of World War II. That same day in the United States, President Harry S. Truman issued a proclamation announcing the war in Europe had ended. Soon after, Archivist of the United States Solon Buck and President … Continue reading Surrender? Nuts!
We are wrapping up our month-long celebration of American Archives Month with a post about the National Archives at New York City. In 1950 the National Archives and Records Service (NARS), which was then part of General Services Administration (GSA), began a pilot Federal Records Center project. The original objective of the Federal Records Center … Continue reading The National Archives at New York
Continuing our celebration of American Archives Month, today’s post comes from Tom Ryan, an intern in the National Archives History Office. Do you ever wonder where records were stored before the National Archives was created in 1934? Photograph of storage conditions of the Office of Indian Affairs records, 1935.(National Archives Identifier 74228359) Before 1934, the federal … Continue reading Survey of Federal Archives
October is American Archives Month! To celebrate the month dedicated to all things archives, we will feature weekly posts on the history of the National Archives. Today’s post comes from Christina James, intern in the National Archives History Office. Measuring 118 feet wide and 18 feet high at their peaks, the pediments on the north and south sides of … Continue reading Symbols of Significance: The Pediments of the National Archives Building
September 17 marks the annual celebration known as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. On the morning of June 18, 2014, in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated a room full of 35 new American citizens and their families. Her speech marked the culmination of a process that individuals have … Continue reading I am an American
August 24, 2014, marks the 200th anniversary of the British burning of Washington during the War of 1812. In August 1814, British forces occupying the Chesapeake Bay began to sail up the Patuxent River in Maryland. Fearing an attack on the capital, Secretary of State James Monroe offered to scout the British position and report … Continue reading The burning of Washington
Today's post comes from Christina James, intern in the National Archives History Office. Walking through our nation’s capital, you will inevitably come across at least one structure adorned with triangular pediments, massive columns, or a majestic dome. Many of Washington, DC’s most iconic buildings and monuments feature these elements and exemplify neoclassical architecture. John Russell Pope, … Continue reading John Russell Pope’s Lincoln Memorial designs
Today's post comes from Jessie Kratz, Historian of the National Archives. March 12, 2014, marks the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web. For most of that time, the National Archives has had some online presence. In 1994, the National Archives started a pilot project to make information about the agency available electronically. The project used the … Continue reading The National Archives on the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web
