On Exhibit: Abolishing Slavery

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

Facial Hair Friday: The Curiously Facial Hairless Members of Lincoln’s Cabinet

Today's post comes from Nikita Buley, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. In the late 1700s, as Americans fought for their independence, most men were clean-shaven. As we moved into the 1800s, however, facial hair—elaborate facial hair, at that—came back into style. Despite this shift, many men remained clean-shaven. A … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: The Curiously Facial Hairless Members of Lincoln’s Cabinet