Still trying to think of a clever costume to wear on Halloween? We've listed some of our favorite suggestions below. (And if anyone actually takes us up on these suggestions, please send us a picture!) I Like Ike! Are you a power couple? How about combining the the upcoming election with some historic campaign fun … Continue reading Costume inspiration from the National Archives!
The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. . . . In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free—honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best, hope of … Continue reading Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on display in New York City
In honor of the 225th anniversary of the Constitution, we challenged citizens on Twitter to take the Preamble of the Constitution and distill its meaning into a twitter-sized bite. The Archivist of the United States chose the winner on the Constitution Day. Congratulations to Jean Huets, who will receive a pocket-sized Constitution from the Foundation … Continue reading Constitution 225: And the winner is….
Five people worked together as the Committee of Style to polish and refine the 52-word Preamble, a paragraph that provided the reasons and purposes behind the creation of the Constitution. In fact, one of the greatest phrases of the Constitution comes from the Preamble: "We the People." Could any other wording express the emotions and … Continue reading Constitution 225: Tweet the Preamble
Our new exhibit "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" opens on June 10 and has over 100 original records about food. But what if you could do more than just look at the records? What if you could taste them—and taste history? Chef Jose Andres—the 2011 Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Foundation Awards, host and executive producer … Continue reading The Archivist and the Chef
The National Archives has over 3,000 employees, but not all of them are archivists. There are educators, social media writers, preservationists, security personnel, and Federal Records Center workers. Some of us handle records all day, but for many of us, our jobs do not bring us into direct contact with the records. That's why it is so exciting … Continue reading Inside the Treasure Vault
Although we were greatly amused by the suggestions of dam building, weather predictions, and rodent chili recipes, we eventually decided on Amy's caption, which combined the history of the Cilivian Conservation Corps with the Depression and managed to be funny! Amy, check your email for your code for 15% off in our eStore! So...are these … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest
For the thousands of immigrants from Europe, the entrance to America was through Ellis Island. As they sailed by New York City, they could see the Statue of Liberty standing in the harbor like a watchful guardian. For immigrants from China and the Pacific Rim, another type of guardian awaited them in San Francisco Bay. They would … Continue reading Ellis Island on the West Coast
