March is both Women’s History Month and Irish American Heritage Month. Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Irish have had a profound influence on the history of the United States. During Irish-American Heritage Month, communities and cultural organizations across the country … Continue reading Taking it to the Stars: Eileen Collins, Space Shuttle Commander
March 8–9, 2021, marks the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack. This battle is significant as the first fight between two ironclad warships, USS Monitor and CSS Virginia. Today’s post comes from Rachel Bartgis, conservator technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. … Continue reading USS Monitor Gun Carriages
It’s Facial Hair Friday, and we’re taking a look at women who fought as soldiers during the U.S. Civil War! Today’s post comes from Rachel Bartgis, conservator technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Lt. Harry J. Buford, aka Loreta Janeta Velázquez. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress) While some female soldiers such … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Women Soldiers in the U.S. Civil War
We’re wrapping up Black History Month with a post from Adam Berenbak, an archivist in the Center for Legislative Archives. Novelist, essayist, poet, and activist James Baldwin (1924–87) “created works of literary beauty and depth that will remain essential parts of the American canon.”[1] He was an openly gay, Black man living in the Civil … Continue reading James Baldwin and Freedom Summer
February is Black History Month. Visit our website for information on related resources and virtual events. Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. The valiant effort of those who fought and sacrificed themselves in the line of duty during World War II is … Continue reading Victory at Home and Abroad: Combating Segregation in the Armed Forces
February is Black History Month. Visit our website for information on related resources and virtual events. Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. Civil rights encompasses a broad range of activities that engage citizens of all backgrounds—the right to vote, to lawfully assemble, … Continue reading The Fight for the Right to Marry: The Loving v. Virginia Case
Join us today @USNatArchives on Twitter and Instagram for the #ArchivesHashtagParty #ArchivesBlackEducation. We will be sharing stories from our Rediscovering Black History blog and our online Catalog. Thurgood Marshall, 6/13/1967. (National Archives Identifier 2803441) Thurgood Marshall was leader in the struggle against racial discrimination in the United States for a good part of the 20th … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: The Honorable Thurgood Marshall
Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger launched from the Kennedy Space Center on an abnormally cold morning. Temperatures dipped below freezing, evidenced by the formation of icicles on the launch pad. Weather conditions had … Continue reading ‘Roger, go at throttle up’: The 35th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
Today’s post comes from Michael J. Hancock, an archives technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. There was a time when the greatest threat during the Cold War was a nuclear strike by the Soviet Union. But for a moment during those tension-filled years, the United States almost nuked itself. The U.S. narrowly … Continue reading Brush with Catastrophe: The Day the U.S. Almost Nuked Itself
January 20 is Inauguration Day. Visit the National Archives website for more information on Presidential elections and inaugurations. At noon on January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden will recite the oath of office in accordance with Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the … Continue reading A Promise to Faithfully Execute the Office: Presidential Inaugurations
