160 years ago on leap day, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Ulysses S. Grant to be Lieutenant General of the Army. Three years into the U.S. Civil War, with no end in sight, President Abraham Lincoln needed to find a commander who could lead the U.S. to victory. Abraham Lincoln, ca. 1861-1865. (National Archives Identifier 530592) … Continue reading Lincoln’s Leap Day Nomination of Grant
As we celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, we’re looking back on the document's 175th anniversary—and a major exhibit at the National Archives Building. The original joint resolution of Congress proposing what we call the Bill of Rights has been on permanent display at the National Archives Building since … Continue reading The Bill of Rights at the National Archives Building
This year the federal holiday Thanksgiving falls on November 23, the fourth Thursday of the month. But it wasn't always so. Today's post looks at Thanksgiving as a federal holiday and the various days it has been commemorated. To learn more about Thanksgiving and how the National Archives is celebrating, visit our website. One of … Continue reading Thanksgiving as a Federal Holiday
October is Filipino-American History Month, and we’re commemorating it with a post on Manuel Quezon and Philippine Independence from Alexandra Villaseran, an archivist with the Center for Legislative Archives. Today there are six nonvoting members in the U.S. House of Representatives: a Resident Commissioner representing Puerto Rico and one Delegate each for the District of … Continue reading Manuel Quezon and the Push for Philippine Independence
March is Women’s History Month. Visit the National Archives website for resources and virtual events related to women’s history. Today’s post comes from Callie Belback from the National Archives History Office. Today in the United States, anyone above the age of 18 can apply for a credit card or a loan and be considered solely … Continue reading On the Basis of Sex: Equal Credit Opportunities
May 1–7, 2022, is Public Service Recognition Week, which honors the individuals who serve our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees. Today’s Facial Hair Friday looks at the man who sponsored legislation establishing a merit-based system for hiring federal employees: Senator George Hunt Pendleton. George H. Pendleton. (National Archives Identifier 167250250) Although President George Washington … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: George H. Pendleton
Congress passed and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the National Archives Act on June 19, 1934. Not only did the legislation create the National Archives as an agency to oversee all federal recordkeeping, it established the position of Archivist of the United States. The Archivist, who was to make $10,000 annually, was to … Continue reading Appointment of the First Archivist of the United States
On April 1, 2022, the National Archives released the 1950 Census. For more information and to view the census, visit the National Archives website. The U.S. Constitution requires that an enumeration be taken every 10 years to determine the size of the House of Representatives. The Constitution originally designated 65 members in the House but … Continue reading The 1790 Census and the First Veto
We're concluding Black History Month with a post on Marian Anderson from Adam Berenbak in the Center for Legislative Archives. For more information on resources related to African American History, visit the National Archives website. Petition from Omega Psi Phi, April 1939. (Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives) This petition was sent to the … Continue reading Marian Anderson’s 1939 Easter Concert
Today’s Facial Hair Friday is about Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American to serve in Congress and the first African American Senator. It’s from Rachel Bartgis, conservator technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. First African-American Senator Hiram Revels. (National Archives Identifier 594264) Hiram Revels was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Hiram Revels
