New York Almanack

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National Archives

Upcoming 1950 Census Release Will Offer New Details About Life In The U.S., Abroad

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a Farmer Supplies Answers to the 232 Questions on the Farm ScheduleThe first U.S. federal population census was taken in 1790, and has been repeated every ten years since. The first censuses were often quite incomplete.

A complete list of all white people was not even a goal until the 1850 Census and ever since many have been missed in the count, especially women, the poor, those without homes, immigrants, people of color, slaves, free blacks, and indigenous people.

Still, decennial censuses can be enormously valuable reach tools – especially when it comes to genealogy and local history.  [Read more…] about Upcoming 1950 Census Release Will Offer New Details About Life In The U.S., Abroad

Trailblazing Women: Geraldine Ferraro

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Jimmy Carter with Congresswomen Geraldine FerraroGeraldine Ferraro, born in Newburgh and later of the South Bronx, would make history as the first female Vice Presidential nominee for a major party. In 1984, Democratic Presidential nominee Walter Mondale announced that Congresswoman of New York would be his running mate. [Read more…] about Trailblazing Women: Geraldine Ferraro

Trailblazing Women: Mae Jemison

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Mission Specialist Mae Jemison courtesy National ArchivesMae Carol Jemison became the first African American woman accepted into NASA’s space training program on June 4th, 1987. Five years later, on September 12th, 1992, she became the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. [Read more…] about Trailblazing Women: Mae Jemison

Trailblazing Women: Amelia Earhart

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Amelia Earhart courtesy National ArchivesIn 1922, Amelia Earhart set a record for reaching the highest altitude for a woman pilot, flying to 14,000 feet. Six years later, Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

In the following 10 years, Earhart continued to set aviation records for speed and distance. She also helped create a women’s aviation club, the Ninety-Nines, and was elected the first president. The organization still exists today and works to promote female pilots. [Read more…] about Trailblazing Women: Amelia Earhart

Trailblazing Women: Shirley Chisholm

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Rules Committee 95th Congress 1977In 1969, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman to serve in Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional District. She was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and the Congressional Women’s Caucus in 1977. Chisholm was also the first woman and the first African American to seek the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1972. [Read more…] about Trailblazing Women: Shirley Chisholm

Trailblazing Women: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett

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Ida B. Wells Barnett, in a photograph by Mary Garrity from c. 1893Born enslaved in Mississippi in 1862, Ida Bell Wells-Barnett dedicated her life to fighting for racial and gender equality. She was a journalist, suffragist, advocate of racial justice, and anti-lynching activist. [Read more…] about Trailblazing Women: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett

African American History At The National Archives

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Roscoe C Brown JrThe National Archives holds a wealth of materials documenting the African American experience, and the contributions of African Americans to United States history and culture.

In 1984, to support the growing demand for knowledge of African American history, Dr. Debra Newman Ham, with the help of several other colleagues, took on the responsibility of compiling a guide to Black history records at the National Archives. [Read more…] about African American History At The National Archives

How The Bill of Rights Developed

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ben_franklins_worldLaw is all around us. And the basis of American Law comes not only from our early American past, but from our founding documents.

This episode begins our 4th Doing History series. Over the next four episodes, we’ll explore the early American origins of the Bill of Rights as well as the history of the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment will serve as our case study so we can see where our rights come from and how they developed from the early American past. [Read more…] about How The Bill of Rights Developed