Ireland: The Easter Rising, 1916

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. The Easter Rising of April 24-29, 1916 is one of the most momentous events in modern Ireland's history. The Rising, which took place in Dublin, was an effort by the Irish to throw off the yoke of British rule and … Continue reading Ireland: The Easter Rising, 1916

Miriam and Me: The Beginnings of an Archival Adventure and Friendship in 1996

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. For the past twelve years most people who have had dealings with Miriam Kleiman at the National Archives know that she is a public affairs specialist. It is probable that they do not know that her association with the … Continue reading Miriam and Me: The Beginnings of an Archival Adventure and Friendship in 1996

The Misadventures of a Soldier and His Bounty-Land Warrant

Heather Jager was a 2015 summer intern in the Archives 1 Reference Section in Washington, DC. During my summer internship, I came across an orphan document – a document that has been separated from its file. It was made of parchment that was dry and slightly rigid; its bottom half had been torn off at … Continue reading The Misadventures of a Soldier and His Bounty-Land Warrant

short letter thanking the Secretary of State for information about the Pan American conference

The President Goes to Cuba: 1928

Today's post was written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. President Obama will visit Cuba later this month.  It will be only the second time an incumbent President visits that island nation.  The first presidential visitor was Calvin Coolidge in 1928, when he attended the Sixth International Conference of American … Continue reading The President Goes to Cuba: 1928

Setting up the Federal Register, 1935

Today's post was written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. Today we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Federal Register. On that day long ago, the press ballyhooed its arrival. Official Washington had long lamented the lack of any kind of up-to-date guide to the mind-boggling mass of rules, regulations, … Continue reading Setting up the Federal Register, 1935

Fur Warden Sketches Map of Fortymile River Basin in Alaska

Today's post was written by Laurie Moyer, who volunteers on education and archival projects at the National Archives at College Park. Throughout December of 1917, the thermometer in Chicken, Alaska, a village about 40 miles west of the Canadian border, repeatedly plunged to 56 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. All activities were “practically at a standstill,” … Continue reading Fur Warden Sketches Map of Fortymile River Basin in Alaska

Major League Baseball, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and World War II, 1941-1942

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and Dr. Sylvia Naylor, Archivists at the National Archives at College Park. During the summer of 1940, as German military forces overran France, many Americans began to support the need for compulsory military training in the event that the United States entered the war in Europe. In … Continue reading Major League Baseball, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and World War II, 1941-1942

The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part III: Battle Report

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the third, and final, in a series of posts on the fate of the USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea, May 8, 1942. The previous posts (1) described the Battle of the Coral Sea, included … Continue reading The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part III: Battle Report

The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part II: Photographs

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. The previous post described the Battle of the Coral Sea, included a transcript of portions of the log of the USS Lexington describing the action on May 8 1942, and included images of the entire log for that day. The following … Continue reading The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part II: Photographs

8 May page from USS Lexington deck log, list of casualties

The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part I: The Log

Today's post was written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. This is the first post in a three-part series. After the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, imperial Japanese forces seemed unstoppable, winning battle after battle in the Philippines, and other places in the Pacific – Wake Island, Guam, … Continue reading The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part I: The Log