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

form for Indian reservation schedule for census data

The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule

Special thanks to Claire Kluskens, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Census Records, and Rose Buchanan, Archivist at the National Archives in Washington, DC. “Now Mrs. Begay, I want to ask you about the names of the people in your family. Is your husband known by any other name than Richard Begay? Sometimes he is … Continue reading The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule

people sitting in stalls using microfilm readers

Beyond the Microfilm Reader: Digital Availability of NARA’s Microfilm Publications

It has been a long-time objective to systematically digitize the microfilm publications located in National Archives and Records Administration (NARA’s) Microfilm Reading Rooms. Less than a quarter of the publications are currently digitized and available online. Most of those were digitized by NARA’s digitization partners and are available on their websites as well as in … Continue reading Beyond the Microfilm Reader: Digital Availability of NARA’s Microfilm Publications

Dr. Robert James Kapsch Collection – New Records from the National Park Service

Today's post was written by James Porter, Archives Specialist, in the Processing Branch, Electronic Records Division at the National Archives at College Park The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) serves the nation as the repository for permanent federal records, the vast majority of which come directly from federal agencies. But not all records come … Continue reading Dr. Robert James Kapsch Collection – New Records from the National Park Service

Department of State Territorial Papers Now Available Online

Additional Department of State records are now available online.  The newly-posted records stem from one of the Department’s original functions later transferred to another agency – oversight of affairs in the territories of the United States.  You will find a description of other Department of State records now online in this series of occasional posts.  … Continue reading Department of State Territorial Papers Now Available Online