Are you down with the PCC? (every name, every place, every subject)

By Monique Politowski In 1971, the National Archives established the Center for the Documentary Study of the American Revolution through its American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (Records of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration: RG 452), at Archives I in Washington, DC.  As one of the major Bicentennial projects, the center was a sort of “one stop” … Continue reading Are you down with the PCC? (every name, every place, every subject)

Happy Mother’s Day to All, Past and Present

By Monique Politowski As we make our brunch reservations, choose the perfect greeting card, and make the rest of our preparations for Mother’s Day this Sunday, let’s not forget the women, the mothers of our nation, who took a stand for women’s rights and blazed the trail for future movements. Men such as George Washington, … Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day to All, Past and Present

Determining the Deposition in 1775

By Monique Politowski This week in 1775, the battles of Lexington and Concord were fought in Massachusetts.  The Massachusetts militia and Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith’s group of British troops suffered casualties, but it is still unclear which side fired the first shot that began the American Revolution. Record Group 360, The Papers of the Continental … Continue reading Determining the Deposition in 1775

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

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

Publius says “Trick or Treat!”

Today's post is written by Monique Politowski, and is part of her ongoing series on the Federalists. It must have been weird for the readers of the New York Independent Journal to see an essay supposedly written by a long since dead Roman.  Hamilton, Jay, and Madison all used the pseudonym “Publius,” intentionally becoming the … Continue reading Publius says “Trick or Treat!”

John Jay and the F-Word

Today’s post was written by Monique Politowski, an archives technician who works on the NARA/Ancestry digitization partnership project in Silver Spring, Maryland. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were infamous for their use of the f-word, federalism. While John Jay’s infamy grew from his role in the Treaty of Paris (1783) (National Archives Identifier 299805), we should … Continue reading John Jay and the F-Word

Image of Encarnacion Alzona’s passport application.

The “Re-Encarnacion” of NARA’s Records

Today's post is written by Monique Politowski, an archives technician who works on the NARA/Ancestry digitization partnership project in Silver Spring, Maryland. Millions of records have been converted to digital form since the partnership between NARA and Ancestry.com began in 2008, and some of the most popular records digitized as a result of this union … Continue reading The “Re-Encarnacion” of NARA’s Records