Today’s post comes from Adam Berenbak, archivist in the Center for Legislative Archives in Washington, DC. The Continental Army and Gen. Samuel Parsons first occupied the land at West Point, New York, owned by Steven Moore, in the winter of 1778. The fort was crucial in defending New York, the Hudson River, and the lines … Continue reading Strategically Important: West Point
Today the Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognizable containers in the world, but a century ago nearly all soda bottles looked the same. Design patent No. 48,160 for bottle or similar article, November 16, 1915. (Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, National Archives) To distinguish its product from competitors, in 1915 the … Continue reading The Coca-Cola Bottle: Celebrating 100 Years of an American Icon
Today’s post comes from Alley Marie Jordan, graduate research intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, D.C. In celebration of the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary this year, the National Archives is exhibiting a seminal document on American political and economic liberties: the 1774 Articles of Association. The Articles of Association, written by the … Continue reading The Articles of Association: Liberty through Economic Independence
Today's post comes from Zach Kopin, an intern in the National Archives History Office. Last month I wrote a blog post on the sketch of the RMS Lusitania’s lifeboat launch system, which is on display at the National Archives in Washington, DC. The National Archives, however, holds another document related to the famous sinking of the Lusitania: the log … Continue reading Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
On June 20, 1790, when Congress was temporarily meeting in New York City, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson hosted a dinner. In attendance were Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Representative from Virginia James Madison. Keep in mind these men were on opposing ends of the political spectrum. Hamilton, a Federalist, wanted the Federal Government … Continue reading The Compromise of 1790
Today’s post comes from Madeline Espeseth, intern in the Center for Legislative Archives in Washington, DC. In 1789, David Ramsay, author of History of the Revolution of South Carolina and History of the American Revolution, petitioned Congress to pass a law granting him the exclusive right of “vending and disposing” the books within the United States. This … Continue reading Protecting Copyright and the “Encouragement of Learning”
Hanging in the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance lobby of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, is a small plaque with the names of four men: Ralph Leroy Dewsnup, Charles Edward Lewis, Julius Mayers and Augustus Julius Siko. These four men were National Archives employees who died serving the United States during World War II. In 1946 the National … Continue reading National Archives War Memorial Plaque
Today’s post comes from Judith Adkins, an archivist at the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Senate Resolution that Congress shall meet in Philadelphia, May 24, 1790. (Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives) While the First Congress met for its two sessions in New York City, delegates from Pennsylvania … Continue reading Location, Location, Location: Settling on a Capital City
To commemorate Memorial Day, the National Archives has released a short video about the importance of the holiday. Timed for the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s death and the upcoming sesquicentennial of the 1866 founding of the Grand Army of the Republic (the fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans), the National Archives created … Continue reading National Archives commemorates Memorial Day with video
Today’s post comes from Samantha Payne, intern in the Center for Legislative Archives in Washington, DC. In 1781, Rhode Island began acquiring nicknames. American newspapers called it “the perverse sister.” “An evil genius.” The “Quintessence of Villainy.” The name “Rogue Island” stuck all the way to 1787, when the Constitutional Convention began and the small state refused … Continue reading “Rogue Island”: The last state to ratify the Constitution
