“Uncertain as to in what position lay the Peninsula of Florida”: The Official Record and the Loss of Flight 19

October is American Archives Month! We’re celebrating the work of archivists and the importance of archives with a series of blog posts highlighting our "Archives Across America." Today’s post comes from Michael Wright and Joseph Ryan from the National Archives at Fort Worth. On December 5, 1945, five Grumman Avenger aircraft, carrying 14 sailors and … Continue reading “Uncertain as to in what position lay the Peninsula of Florida”: The Official Record and the Loss of Flight 19

American Archives Month: Archives Across America

October is American Archives Month! Keep up to date with all our activities on our American Archives Month website.  Each year in October we celebrate American Archives Month to raise awareness about the value of archives and archivists. This year we're celebrating "Archives Across America" by taking a closer look at all the National Archives nationwide. … Continue reading American Archives Month: Archives Across America

While Chicago Burned

Today's post was originally published in Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives in the Winter 2011 issue (Vol. 43, no. 4). While Chicago Burned Records of an Obscure Court Case Yield New Details on the 1871 Fire By Ann Patricia Duffy When the fire brigade's general alarm bells sounded on the night of October 8, 1871, … Continue reading While Chicago Burned

Evidence Exposed a Crumbling Klan: KKK v. John F. Strayer et. al.

Today’s post comes from Grace DiAgostino, an archives technician in Research Services at the National Archives at Philadelphia. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is one of the most infamous hate groups in American history. Founded in the aftermath of the Civil War as a social club, the KKK throughout the 19th and … Continue reading Evidence Exposed a Crumbling Klan: KKK v. John F. Strayer et. al.

New Web Exhibit on FDR and the Presidential Library System

Today’s post comes from Andrew Grafton in the National Archives History Office. A man deeply devoted to preserving United States history, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made contributions to the National Archives that have proven invaluable. Not only did he sign the law creating the National Archives, appoint the first Archivist of the United States, and … Continue reading New Web Exhibit on FDR and the Presidential Library System

Veterans’ Military Records–We’ve Got Them

In honor of Veterans Day, today's post comes from Sarah Basilion, an intern in the National Archives History Office.  The National Archives is one of the best places to research U.S. military records. As the official repository of military personnel records, the National Archives allows researchers to view documents and records related to the military both … Continue reading Veterans’ Military Records–We’ve Got Them

Herald of the Storms: Isaac Cline

Today’s post comes from Ashley Mattingly, an archivist at the National Archives at St. Louis. During a time when formal scientific weather forecasting was in its infancy, Isaac Cline was a man with a penchant for predicting disasters. Born in 1861, Cline was a perpetually driven man who joined the U.S. Signal Corps’s weather service … Continue reading Herald of the Storms: Isaac Cline

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: Managing the Materials of a Modern Eight-Year Presidency

We’re wrapping up our American Archives Month series of blog posts about the Presidential libraries. The records created by Presidents while in office will become part of the National Archives and eventually will be used by researchers. Here’s how it happens! Today’s post comes from Emily Niekrasz, an intern in the National Archives History Office … Continue reading The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: Managing the Materials of a Modern Eight-Year Presidency

The Creation of the Nixon Library

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 Presidential libraries. The records created by Presidents while in office will become part of the National Archives, and eventually will be used by researchers. Here's how it happens!  Today's post comes … Continue reading The Creation of the Nixon Library

Ernest Hemingway and the JFK Library

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 Presidential libraries. The records created by Presidents while in office will become part of the National Archives, and eventually will be used by researchers. Here's how it happens!  Today’s post comes … Continue reading Ernest Hemingway and the JFK Library