This is the second installment of a series about unratified constitutional amendments. Today we’re looking at an amendment proposed during the lead-up to the War of 1812 that sought to bar U.S. citizens from accepting titles of nobility. The U.S. Constitution has a Titles of Nobility clause that prohibits the federal government from granting titles … Continue reading Unratified Amendments: Titles of Nobility
In January 1941, the National Archives accepted a copy of the award-winning—and controversial—film Gone with the Wind. Senator Walter F. George of Georgia and Loews Eastern Division Manager Carter Barron presented the donation to the first Archivist of the United States, R.D.W. Connor, in his office. Archivist of the United States R. D. W. Connor … Continue reading Gone with the Wind
It’s the first Facial Hair Friday of 2020—Happy New Year! Today we’re highlighting the old man with a long, white beard: Father Time. Father Time is, as the name suggests, the personification of time. In the context of New Year’s he represents the outgoing year. He is often portrayed as an old, bearded man wearing … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Father Time
As we close out the year, we’re taking a look back on the most popular posts published in 2019. And a huge THANK YOU to the National Archives staff who work so hard to share our love of history! 10. The First Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Two hundred and thirty years ago Congress passed … Continue reading Top Ten of 2019
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Project Blue Book, there is a special featured document display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, from December 5, 2019, through January 20, 2020. Today’s post comes from Michael Steffen from the National Archives History Office. The idea of … Continue reading Saucers Over Washington: the History of Project Blue Book
December 15 is Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. For more information on events and resources at the National Archives, visit our Bill of Rights Day website. How much do you know about the Bill of Rights? We know a lot and have written … Continue reading What you may not know about the Bill of Rights
Today is Facial Hair Friday, and we’re taking a look at Willie Nelson, American musician, actor, author, and activist. Today’s post comes from Vincent Bartholomew from the National Archives History Office. Willie Nelson is synonymous with country music and marijuana legalization advocacy. Once described as “Jesus on a bad hair day,” Nelson’s white beard and … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Willie Nelson
Today's post comes from Joseph Gillette, a processing archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Fire damage inside the Suitland nitrate film vault, 1978. (Records of the National Archives) A date which will live in infamy . . . On December 7, 1978, a fire occurred at the National Archives and Records Service … Continue reading Heated to Ignition: The 1978 Suitland Film Vault Fire
The Freedom Train was a seven-car train that traveled across the United States from September 1947 until January 1949. It was dedicated to the history of American democracy and contained some of the country's most priceless historical documents, many from the National Archives. The Freedom Train, 1948. (Records of the American Heritage Foundation, National Archives) … Continue reading Thanksgiving Aboard the Freedom Train
The National Archives History Office has published a new online exhibit, "The History of Our Neighborhood." Today's post comes from Rachel Rosenfeld from the National Archives History Office. The National Archives Building in Washington, DC, sits halfway between the Capitol and the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, but the building wasn’t always there. In fact, … Continue reading Explore “Our Neighborhood”
