By David Langbart The Historical Office at the Department of State recently published a history of the documentary publication now referred to as Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS). The book, entitled Toward "Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable:" A History of the Foreign Relations of the United States Series, also is available online. The history describes … Continue reading The Making of a FRUS Volume
Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. On February 28th, 1876, four Crow Indians enlisted in the U.S. Army as Indian Scouts at Fort Ellis Montana. Those four men: Curly, Goes Ahead, White Man Runs Him, and Hairy Moccasin, were under the command of Colonel Gibbons when on … Continue reading From Scouting for Custer to Farming the Plains; The Life and Times of Hairy Moccasin as Seen in the Crow Indian Agency Records
By David Langbart In April of this year, Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, made a state visit to the United States. In June 1957, Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, then Japan’s prime minister, made a similar visit to the United States. That visit came to symbolize a renewal of the strength of the U.S.-Japan friendship after … Continue reading Golf Diplomacy, 1957
Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. The United States National Park system, its scope and breadth unrivaled in the world, boasts hundreds of parks, monuments, sites, recreation areas, and even the White House within its purview. Saved from development and also federally managed, the most notable geological … Continue reading “In Motion Pictures We Do Not Actually Dynamite the Sheep,” A Brief Look at Hollywood’s Filming History with the National Park Service
Today's post is written by Chris Naylor, Director of the Textual Records Division. I recently opened a fortune cookie that contained a saying with special significance to me. This phrase, “The best prophet of the future is the past,” originally attributed to Lord Byron, returned to me a few days later as I reviewed a … Continue reading The Best Prophet of the Future is the Past: September 11 – 1970, 1981, and 2001
By M. Marie Maxwell RG 64, entry NA-273A. Center Market, looking southwest on 9th St., 1928 What do these three have in common? They all are properties within the District of Columbia, properties that appear in National Archives Textual series housed in Washington, DC. Initially, I had hoped to trace the property ownership of the … Continue reading The National Archives, the Fireman’s Insurance Building, and the Carter G. Woodson House
By David Langbart An earlier blog post discussed the November 8, 1963, memorandum on the problem of leaks Under Secretary of State George W. Ball sent to President John F. Kennedy. Since then, more documentation on what led to that memorandum has come to light. By early September 1962, President Kennedy and Under Secretary Ball … Continue reading Leaks in the Department of State, 1963: Antecedents
By David Langbart Records on Turkish atrocities against the Armenians during World War I can be found in a number of different records groups holding records of the Department of State. (1) RG 59: General Records of the Department of State contains significant documentation relating to Turkish persecution of the Armenians. The primary source is … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to Turkish Atrocities Against the Armenians During World War I
By David Langbart On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln attended a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater. While there, he was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth. He died the next morning. As part of the same murderous conspiracy, Secretary of State William Henry Seward was attacked at his home … Continue reading Reporting the Death of the President, 1865
Today's post is written by archivist David Pfeiffer Yes, spring is here. Major League Baseball’s opening day is Monday, April 6. Finally. It has been a long cold winter. As Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby once said “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. … Continue reading Baseball Patents
