Records of Rights Vote: “Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote”

Cast your vote for the 26th Amendment to be displayed first in the new “Records of Rights” gallery. Polls close on November 15! Congress can move quickly. The 26th Amendment was ratified in 100 days, faster than any other amendment. In April 1970, Congress controversially lowered the voting age to 18 as part of legislation to … Continue reading Records of Rights Vote: “Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote”

The people are voting. And the winner is . . . up to you!

Today's blog post comes from Bruce Bustard, curator at the National Archives in Washington, DC. “Exercise your right to vote! This time, help shape the new exhibition space at the National Archives.” David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States The National Archives invites you to choose an original document for our new exhibition. America’s … Continue reading The people are voting. And the winner is . . . up to you!

Suffrage and suffering at the 1913 March

Today's blog post comes from Jessie Kratz, archives specialist in the Center for Legislative Archives. As woman suffrage advocates marched along Pennsylvania Avenue on March 3, 1913, they were met with crowds of unruly men blocking their paths and shouting derogatory remarks. While making preparations for the parade, organizers had made repeated attempts to secure … Continue reading Suffrage and suffering at the 1913 March

To Choose a President

Today's post originally appeared in the 2012 Summer Issue of Prologue magazine, and was written by Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. The Electoral College. Established 1787. It isn’t really a college, and the electors aren’t tenured professors. The electors are really voters, and their votes count in a very big way. The … Continue reading To Choose a President

The Electoral College: Then and Now

Today's guest post comes from Miriam Vincent, staff attorney at the Federal Register. The founding fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. However, the term “electoral college” does not appear … Continue reading The Electoral College: Then and Now