Publius says “Trick or Treat!”

Today's post is written by Monique Politowski, and is part of her ongoing series on the Federalists. It must have been weird for the readers of the New York Independent Journal to see an essay supposedly written by a long since dead Roman.  Hamilton, Jay, and Madison all used the pseudonym “Publius,” intentionally becoming the … Continue reading Publius says “Trick or Treat!”

Football and the U.S. Army in the Early 20th Century

By T. Juliette Arai  As we are in the midst of the college and professional football seasons, I thought it might be interesting to have a blog about this sport during its early years, one which shows a few of the football-related records we have here at Archives I. At the turn of the last … Continue reading Football and the U.S. Army in the Early 20th Century

How the West was Won: Marshal Dake, the Earp Brothers, and the Tombstone Shootout

On October 26, 1881, a 30-second gunfight became the stuff of legend. Today marks the 130th anniversary of the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral, and to commemorate the occasion, Katie Beaver, a summer intern in textual processing, wrote the following post. One of the most well-known stories of the “Wild West” comes from Tombstone, Arizona: … Continue reading How the West was Won: Marshal Dake, the Earp Brothers, and the Tombstone Shootout

The Caledonia Company

Today's post is written by Tina Ligon, a processing archivist in College Park. The U.S. Navy Flag Files (RG 313) contain a myriad of information generated by high-level commanders. These records consist of intelligence reports, memorandums, administrative files, correspondence, and photographs related to such subjects as administration, logistics, and personnel. The Flag Files are divided … Continue reading The Caledonia Company

Take me out to the ball game

By Robin Waldman I see great things in baseball. It's our game -- the American game. --Walt Whitman Although Benjamin Franklin Shibe died in 1922, his accomplishments had a direct effect on your evening plans for tonight. Never heard of him? You should thank Shibe, if you're among the millions of Americans who are looking … Continue reading Take me out to the ball game

Elections and Connections: The Appointment of Phoebe Couzins, the First Female Marshal

Today's post was written by Katie Beaver, who spent her summer interning with textual processing. The latter half of the nineteenth century is notorious among American historians for shady and tumultuous politics, particularly during presidential elections. The U.S. Marshal Service during this time was charged with monitoring polls on election days to ensure that the … Continue reading Elections and Connections: The Appointment of Phoebe Couzins, the First Female Marshal

John Jay and the F-Word

Today’s post was written by Monique Politowski, an archives technician who works on the NARA/Ancestry digitization partnership project in Silver Spring, Maryland. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were infamous for their use of the f-word, federalism. While John Jay’s infamy grew from his role in the Treaty of Paris (1783) (National Archives Identifier 299805), we should … Continue reading John Jay and the F-Word

From College Park to Edinburgh: 30 Days with the National Collection of Aerial Photography

Today's post is written by Tom McAnear, a processing archivist in College Park. Tom is participating in the Archival Development Program, an in-house multi-year training course for all of NARA's archivists. As part of my Archival Development Program (ADP) training I recently completed a 30-day rotation in June at the National Collection of Aerial Photography … Continue reading From College Park to Edinburgh: 30 Days with the National Collection of Aerial Photography

The Last Box

Today's post was written by Katy Berube, who spent her summer interning in textual processing. A U.S. President’s signature, Civil War veterans, and a 19th Century labor strike…oh my!  Box 273 of the Appointment Files for Judicial Districts 1853-1905 (National Archives Identifier 734590) was the last box I examined for possible records of interest to digitize … Continue reading The Last Box

Brad Meltzer’s NARA Top Ten

Some months ago I attended a book signing at Archives I by author and History Channel star, Brad Meltzer.  It was on the occasion of his new book The Inner Circle, which has at its core an archivist and the National Archives.  Brad is a big fan of NARA, archivists, and the records we keep.  … Continue reading Brad Meltzer’s NARA Top Ten