Hand drawn map of where bodies were buried in Nelson Private Cemetery.

A (Not So) Final Resting Place: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cemetery Relocation Project in Hawley, Pennsylvania

Today’s post was written by Grace Schultz, archivist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. When we lay our loved ones to rest, we expect their remains to… well… remain. However, final resting places are not always final. As can be seen with the relocation of two cemeteries in the 1950s and 1960s in Wayne County, … Continue reading A (Not So) Final Resting Place: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cemetery Relocation Project in Hawley, Pennsylvania

Documenting the Deceased: Typhoid Fever During the Spanish-American War

Today’s post was written by Grace Schultz, archivist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. While the Spanish-American War lasted four months (April 21 – August 13, 1898), it resulted in almost 2,500 deaths of American soldiers.[1] The short-lived conflict officially came to a close with the Treaty of Paris, which was signed on December 10, … Continue reading Documenting the Deceased: Typhoid Fever During the Spanish-American War

Denver, Colorado Statistically According to the 1950 Census of Population

Today’s post was written by Claire Wehking, Archives Technician at the National Archives at Denver. 134 Keypunch Operator, 1950 (National Archives Identifier 76643208) Preliminary results of the 1950 Census of Population were published in a series of reports and were based on preliminary counts, much like the Census of Housing. The preliminary counts of the … Continue reading Denver, Colorado Statistically According to the 1950 Census of Population

BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury, Part II

Tintype Images of Wounded Civil War Union Soldiers from Pension Application Files in the U.S. National Archives This is the second of two posts about personal tintype images of wounded soldiers in the Civil War Pension Application Files from the Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Record Group 15).  **Please note that the following … Continue reading BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury, Part II

photo of man w/short hair and mustache, bare torso, right side turned toward camera to show amputated right arm at the shoulder, w/exposed bone

BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury

Tintype Images of Wounded Civil War Union Soldiers from Pension Application Files in the U.S. National Archives **Please note that the following post contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some readers.** This is the first of two posts about personal tintype images of wounded soldiers in the Civil War Pension Application Files from … Continue reading BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury

Equalization and its Role in Dismantling Racial Segregation in Virginia Public Schools

Today’s post was written by Grace Schultz, archivist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. A companion lesson plan can be viewed here on DocsTeach. The fight to desegregate schools started long before the Supreme Court’s decision in Oliver Brown, et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., and it continues today. As can … Continue reading Equalization and its Role in Dismantling Racial Segregation in Virginia Public Schools

The Department of State and Oversight of Puerto Rico, 1900-1909

One of the original functions of the Department of State was oversight of the territories.  In 1873, an act of Congress (17 Stat. 484) transferred that function to the Secretary of the Interior.  In 1900, however, territorial responsibility was once again thrust on the Department of State after the United States conquered and seized Puerto … Continue reading The Department of State and Oversight of Puerto Rico, 1900-1909

2 soldiers lead a column of men/women/children on a dirt road

Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 3: Related Agencies and Publications

This is the third and final post in a series describing World War II-era records of the Department of State and other closely related agencies relating to refugees, displaced persons, relief, and war crimes.  It describes records of the Foreign Economic Administration, the Clemency and Parole Board for War Criminals (Japanese), and the Displaced Persons … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 3: Related Agencies and Publications

3 children w/bread in their hands behind a box stamped "CARE United States of America"

Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 2: Decentralized Files

This is the second of three parts describing World War II-era records of the Department of State relating to refugees, displaced persons, relief, and war crimes.  It describes the decentralized files of the Department.  Part 1 described relevant central files.  As noted in that post, there is significant overlap among the central and decentralized files … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 2: Decentralized Files

mother standing behind 2 children

Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 1: Central Files

Perennial subjects of interest in the records of the Department of State for the World War II era are refugees, displaced persons, relief, and war crimes.  Among the headquarters records of the Department of State are many records relating to those topics.  This is the first of three posts to discuss those materials. The records … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 1: Central Files