The National Archives History Office continues to celebrate Women’s History Month with stories of former employees. Today’s post comes from Sarah Basilion. Adrienne Thomas receives an award from Archivist of the United States Bert Rhoads, 11/30/1973. (National Archives Identifier 286884325) Adrienne C. Thomas began her career with the National Archives in 1970 as an archivist … Continue reading Adrienne Thomas: An Amazing Archives Career
Today's post comes from Hailey Philbin in the National Archives History Office. The 20th Amendment is often referred to as the Lame Duck Amendment. It was passed by Congress on March 2, 1932, and ratified on January 23, 1933. The amendment changed the date of the Presidential inauguration from March 4 to January 20. It … Continue reading The Not-So-Lame Amendment
The National Archives History Office is celebrating Women's History Month by featuring past employees. Today's post comes from Hailey Philbin. Mabel Deutrich. (National Archives Identifier 12170444) “Deutrich’s only disadvantage in this respect lies in her being a woman.” Imagine hearing this and inevitably realizing that your career ambitions would be restricted because of your gender. … Continue reading Ms. Archivist
We are wrapping up our celebration of Black History Month. Today’s post comes from Hailey Philbin. On a sunny day in 1944, young Sara Jackson walked along the noisy DC streets right into the National Archives and asked for a job. Sara Dunlap Jackson receiving the Houston Civil War Round Table's Frank E. Vandiver Award, … Continue reading The Wild, Wild West . . . of Pennsylvania Avenue
The National Archives History Office continues to celebrate Black History Month with stories of former employees. Today’s post comes from Kaitlin Errickson. Harold Pinkett, ca. 1978. (National Archives History Office Collection) Dr. Harold Pinkett established many firsts for African Americans at both the National Archives and in the field of archival studies. His career was … Continue reading Harold Pinkett: An Archivist and Scholar
Today Pieces of History kicks off a month-long celebration of Black History. The National Archives has millions of pages of records that document African American history—from Blacks serving in the Revolutionary War to the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. But behind those stories are the stories of the many African … Continue reading Celebrating Black History Month
Today’s post comes from Emily Niekrasz, an intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. Since 1936, the National Archives has microfilmed documents in order to preserve frequently used originals and to allow researchers to study materials without making a potentially long and expensive trip to Washington, DC. The National Archives History Office … Continue reading The National Archives: A Pioneer in Microfilm Online Exhibit
At the start of World War II, African Americans serving in the Armed Forces were segregated into all-black units. They were also limited in the types of positions they could hold—blacks in the U.S. military did not fly planes. On April 3, 1939, Congress passed legislation expanding the Army Air Corps (the precursor to today’s … Continue reading Featured document: Tuskegee Airmen
In April 1952 Congress ordered the Library of Congress to transfer the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to the National Archives. The two documents were to go on public display in the National Archives Building along with the Bill of Rights, which was already at the Archives. While the Archives exhibition hall had been specifically … Continue reading Protecting the Bill of Rights: the Mosler Vault
On December 6, 1865, with Georgia’s ratification of the 13th Amendment, slavery throughout the United States became illegal. Just a few years earlier, in 1861, Ohio Representative Thomas Corwin proposed—and both Houses of Congress passed—a constitutional amendment that would have done the exact opposite. Corwin’s amendment read, "No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which … Continue reading On Exhibit: Abolishing Slavery
