June 19th, or “Juneteenth,” is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Today’s post, looking at the history of the federal holiday, comes from Saba Samy, an intern at the National Archives in Washington, DC. President Lincoln on the Battlefield, Maryland, Antietam, 1862. (National Archives Identifier 533297) On September … Continue reading Juneteenth: The First Commemoration of Abolition
Today’s post comes from Rachel Bartgis, conservator technician at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. During the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate Army required enslavers to loan their enslaved people to the military. Throughout the Confederacy from Florida to Virginia, these enslaved people served as cooks and laundresses, labored in deadly conditions to mine … Continue reading Confederate Slave Payrolls
Walt Whitman, ca. 1863-1865. (National Archives Identifier 525875) April is National Poetry Month, and today we're looking at one of the most famous American poets of all time: Walt Whitman. In addition to his bushy beard, Walt Whitman is probably best known as the American poet who wrote Leaves of Grass. But you may not … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Walt Whitman
This is the third installment of a series about unratified constitutional amendments. Today we’re looking at an amendment proposed during the lead-up to the U.S. Civil War that would have protected the institution of slavery. When the second session of the 36th Congress convened in late 1860, the issue of slavery had grown increasingly divisive, … Continue reading Unratified Amendments: Protection of Slavery
March is Women's History Month! Today's post comes from Holly Rivet, an archives technician at the National Archives at St. Louis. Few women became physicians in the 1850s; fewer still served in the Civil War; and only one was awarded the Medal of Honor. Dr. Mary E. Walker was born in 1832 in Oswego, New … Continue reading Dr. Mary E. Walker
This post was originally published as an article by Trevor Plante in the Spring 2015 issue of Prologue magazine. Trevor K. Plante is chief of the Reference Services Branch at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He is a supervisory archivist who specializes in 19th- and early 20th-century military records and is an active lecturer and a frequent … Continue reading Ending the Bloodshed: The Last Surrenders of the Civil War
In honor of Festivus, this seems like the perfect document for the airing of grievances. This feature was originally published in Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives (Summer 2013). At the National Archives, and almost any other archival institution, one of the principal rules for using original records is to keep the records in the same order … Continue reading An airing of grievances: A pension clerk’s appeal
Today's post comes from Christine Blackerby, Archives Specialist in the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives in Washington, DC. The Center for Legislative Archives is marking the 225th anniversary of the First Congress by sharing documents on Tumblr and Twitter; use #Congress225 to see all the postings. When the First Congress met in … Continue reading The Oath of Office: The First Act of the First Congress
In honor of Memorial Day, the 1869 Whitman Report on Cemeteries is on display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building from May 22 through June 5. Today's post comes from curator Alice Kamps. Memorial Day traditions began in the aftermath of the Civil War. The American people were just beginning what historian Drew Gilpin … Continue reading Now on display: Whitman’s Report on Cemeteries
Steven Spielberg is being honored by the Foundation for the National Archives for his film legacy, which has brought history to life on the big screen. The National Archives is celebrating the award with a film festival. Lincoln is the last film to be screened. Join us tonight, November 18, at 7 p.m. Tickets are … Continue reading Spielberg Film Festival: Lincoln
