By T. Juliette Arai As 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the Reference staff at Archives 1 want to provide a glimpse of some of the series that we have in our custody relating to this conflict. The following list may assist researchers who want to locate records pertaining to the War of 1812. Please … Continue reading Researching the War of 1812: Where to Begin
The CIA in Guatemala
By Jason Clingerman In June 1954, Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán was overthrown in a coup that was orchestrated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and carried out by the Guatemalan exile Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas. Arbenz was targeted in large part because of his land reform policies that affected U.S. companies, namely the United … Continue reading The CIA in Guatemala
A Georgetown, DC Building in 1994 and 2012
By M. Marie Maxwell RG 66, entry A1-23 Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files, folder OG94-88 (ARC 559486) Last time I wrote here on the Text Message blog, I had written about the Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files (ARC 559486), found in Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts, and highlighted … Continue reading A Georgetown, DC Building in 1994 and 2012
Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part II
Today's post is written by Alan Walker, a processing archivist in Research Services. Earlier I described to you the Overseas Mission records of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and our project to transform them from the unfortunate and inaccessible state in which they arrived at Archives II. These records have proven a time-consuming challenge for … Continue reading Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part II
Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part I
Today’s post is written by Alan Walker, a processing archivist in Research Services. Since 2010, the Record Group 286 Processing Team has been steadily transforming the 11,700 cubic feet of paper records of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) housed here at Archives II. A lot of preparation goes into such a massive project … Continue reading Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part I
Boston Tea Party Etiquette Lesson 2: Swallowing the Bitter Draught in Rhode Island
By Monique Politowski In 1774, British Parliament implemented the Coercive Acts in response to the destruction of British property by colonists during the Boston Tea Party. Paul Revere reproduced an engraving from a London newspaper that depicted the relationship between the British government and America, and he circulated it among the colonies. A copy of this … Continue reading Boston Tea Party Etiquette Lesson 2: Swallowing the Bitter Draught in Rhode Island
Croatia and the Voice of America
Today's post is written by Ashby Crowder. A few days ago the Washington Post ran a story about the recent closing of the Voice of America’s (VOA) Croatian language radio broadcast service. If you’re interested in the history of Voice of America in the former Yugoslavia, the National Archives at College Park has some records … Continue reading Croatia and the Voice of America
Presidential greetings, c. 1933
By David Langbart The Great Depression had a serious negative impact on the situation of American diplomatic and consular officials overseas. As the end of the first year of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency drew near, the President sent the following note to Secretary of State Cordell Hull: MEMORANDUM FROM … Continue reading Presidential greetings, c. 1933
Boston Tea Party Etiquette
Today's post is written by Monique Politowski, and is part of her ongoing series on the Federalists. Today is the 238th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, men dressed as Native Americans and wearing disguises, destroyed British owned tea by throwing it into the water of Griffin’s Wharf in Boston. Archives II has … Continue reading Boston Tea Party Etiquette
Uncle Walt, Papa, and The Prom Queen of Soul
By Jason Clingerman What do Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, and Whitney Houston have in common? They all served with the American Red Cross! Disney served as a Red Cross ambulance driver in France during World War I. Likewise, Hemingway served as an ambulance driver in Italy during World War I. In fact, Hemingway's service was … Continue reading Uncle Walt, Papa, and The Prom Queen of Soul