February 19, 2018, is the Federal holiday celebrated as George Washington's Birthday. Today's post comes from John Lockwood, a long-time federal employee who has written numerous articles, many for the National Archives. Some time back, I was busy working on an article about how in 1854 Pope Pius IX donated a gift stone to be … Continue reading The Lost Gift Stones of the Washington Monument
Today’s post comes from Madie Ward in the National Archives History Office. The XXIII Winter Olympics are here! They are being held in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, from February 9 to 25. With a total of 102 medal events, this year’s Olympics is the first to surpass 100. The games feature fifteen disciplines: alpine skiing, … Continue reading Are You Watching the XXIII Winter Olympics?
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation (what some of us here at the Archives call the “EP”)—in the middle of the U.S. Civil War. In it, he declared all slaves within the states that were currently in rebellion to be free. Although it did not abolish slavery altogether, the document … Continue reading The “EP” at the National Archives
Today’s post comes from Austin McManus with the National Archives History Office. To commemorate Black History Month, we celebrate the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first African American unit of the U.S. Army. These brave men served honorably during U.S. Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history. President Abraham Lincoln issued the … Continue reading Black History Month: the 54th Massachusetts
Today’s post comes from Madie Ward in the National Archives History Office. The Vietnam War (1955–75) was a time of great controversy in the United States. Cold War tensions ran high as the country relentlessly fought against the alleged evils of communism. At the same time, advances in video and audio recording enabled both easier … Continue reading Vietnam: The First Television War
On October 21, 1969, a large, illuminated, rotating globe was dedicated in the Exhibition Hall at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. The globe was one of eight made by the Terr-A-Qua Globes & Maps Company of Santa Ana, California, between 1966 and 1973. The globes show, in raised relief, all three of the Earth’s … Continue reading The “Terr-A-Qua Globe”
Today’s post comes from Garet Anderson-Lind from the National Archives History Office. World War I was one of the first great wars during the industrial revolution. From the introduction of airplanes to the use of tanks and railway guns on the battlefield, soldiers had to contend not only with each other but with the productions … Continue reading Unsung heroes of World War I: the carrier pigeons
Clifford Berryman was one of the most widely acclaimed political cartoonists in the first half of the 20th century. For over 50 years, his cartoons appeared on the front page of Washington newspapers, first the Washington Post and later the Washington Evening Star. Throughout his extensive career, Berryman drew Presidents, members of Congress, cabinet … Continue reading Happy New Year!
Today's post comes from Corinne Porter, a curator from the National Archives Exhibits Program in Washington, DC. The Featured Document exhibit is the place in the National Archives Museum where we share—a document or two at a time—some of the most incredible records that belong to the American people. Featured Document exhibits often commemorate landmark … Continue reading A Gift from an Archivist
Today's post come from Erik Moshe from the National Archives Public Media and Communications Office. You can read the entire article online on the National Archives website. Just months after President Ronald Reagan’s "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" speech in West Berlin in 1987, two men arrived in Russia. Their destination: the Soviet Archival Research Center. … Continue reading Reflections of Two American Archivists on the Soviet Union’s Archives
