Within the holdings of the National Archives, you will find many resources documenting the history and early days of aviation. Among these records include the stories and flights of American women aviation pioneers, captured by newsreel footage and World War I era photographs. [Read more…] about Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers
National Archives
National Archives New Online Catalog Launches Monday
The National Archives’ new online catalog is set to launch on Monday, November 21st, replacing the legacy Catalog at catalog.archives.gov. The new Catalog focuses on scalability and in the next few years is expected to grow to 500 million digitized pages.
New back-end enhancements provide an improved search experience which makes it easier and more intuitive. [Read more…] about National Archives New Online Catalog Launches Monday
The 60th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis
At the height of the Cold War, for two weeks in October 1962, the world teetered on the edge of thermonuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Earlier that fall, the Soviet Union, under orders from Premier Nikita Khrushchev, began to secretly deploy a nuclear strike force in Cuba, just 90 miles from the United States.
President John F. Kennedy said the missiles would not be tolerated and insisted on their removal. Khrushchev refused. [Read more…] about The 60th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis
US Archivist Appointment Still On Hold
In September, the President’s nominee for Archivist of the United States (AOTUS), Dr. Colleen Shogan, appeared before the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs (HSGAC) in accordance with the Senate’s advice and consent capacity for presidential appointments. [Read more…] about US Archivist Appointment Still On Hold
Universal Newsreels In The National Archives
The Universal Newsreel Collection is the largest donated newsreel collection in the Moving Image and Sound Branch at the National Archives. The popular collection includes nearly 4,000 edited releases which were originally shown in movie theaters, as well as 8,500 reels of unedited outtakes. [Read more…] about Universal Newsreels In The National Archives
Featured Collections: West Point Military Academy Photographs
More than 2,500 photographs taken at the West Point Military Academy in the early 20th century are now available in the National Archives Catalog. [Read more…] about Featured Collections: West Point Military Academy Photographs
US Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Logbooks Go Online
More than 500 logbooks of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships (USC & GSS) are now available to view and download in the National Archives Catalog.
[Read more…] about US Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Logbooks Go Online
Maritime History: Ship Engineering Drawings
The Cartographic Branch at the National Archives is home to over one million ship plans, with records spanning more than 15 distinct Record Groups and over 25 separate series. These drawings are among the most requested records from researchers in the Cartographic Branch. [Read more…] about Maritime History: Ship Engineering Drawings
Mapping World War II: Archival Resources
Maps and charts have always played an important role in the planning and execution of military operations. Military maps, nautical charts, and fortification plans form a significant part of the holdings in the Cartographic Branch of the National Archives.
Among these records include a recently digitized series of World War II Records from the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department (Record Group 407). These records are available to view and download from the National Archives Catalog. [Read more…] about Mapping World War II: Archival Resources
Photographing the Civil War: Mathew Brady at 200
Mathew Brady was one of the most prolific photographers of the nineteenth century, creating visual documentation of the Civil War period. While Mathew Brady’s exact birth-date in Warren County, NY is unknown (circa 1822 – 1824), this year marks the beginning of the commemoration of Brady’s 200th birthday. [Read more…] about Photographing the Civil War: Mathew Brady at 200
Don’t Be a Dope: Will Eisner’s World War II Posters
The Still Picture Branch at the National Archives safeguards many series of posters used during World War II by the United States Government. The messages range from the promotion of Victory Gardens and the war effort to military recruitment, education, safety and more.
Cartoonist and writer Will Eisner (1917-2005) was one of the most significant pioneers and innovators within the 20th-century comic book industry. Though his career spanned over half of the century, Eisner is perhaps best known for one of his earliest works — his comic strip The Spirit, which debuted in newspapers in 1940. [Read more…] about Don’t Be a Dope: Will Eisner’s World War II Posters
Help Transcribe the 1950 Census
The National Archives launched the 1950 Census website on April 1st, and is seeking help from the public to transcribe and refine the name index.
The website has already had more than 1.4 million visitors, including 44 million page views and over 1.2 million names transcribed. Transcribing or submitting name updates helps improve the accuracy of the name index and make the records more searchable. [Read more…] about Help Transcribe the 1950 Census
World War II Escape and Evasion Firsthand Accounts
At the National Archives there are nearly 3,000 reports containing information on escape and evasion activities and training of U.S. soldiers serving in the European theater during the Second World War.
These records contain dramatic and gripping firsthand accounts of survival, including these three: [Read more…] about World War II Escape and Evasion Firsthand Accounts
The Civil War Confederate Army’s Forced Labor Slave Records
During the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate Army required enslavers to loan the people they held enslaved to the military. Throughout the Confederacy from Florida to Virginia, these enslaved people served as cooks and laundresses, labored in deadly conditions to mine potassium nitrate to create gunpowder, worked in ordnance factories, and dug the extensive defensive trench networks that defended cities such as Petersburg, Virginia.
To track this extensive network of thousands of enslaved people and the pay their enslavers received for their lease, the Confederate Quartermaster Department created the record series now called the “Confederate Slave Payrolls.” [Read more…] about The Civil War Confederate Army’s Forced Labor Slave Records
National Archives Adds Donated Collection Explorer
The National Archives safeguards billions of documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States government.
In addition to these federal records, the National Archives holds collections of donated historical materials, many of which pertain to and illustrate historical activities of the United States, or document a significant program or activity of the U.S. government. [Read more…] about National Archives Adds Donated Collection Explorer
Upcoming 1950 Census Release Will Offer New Details About Life In The U.S., Abroad
The 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
Geraldine 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
Mae 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: Jeannette Rankin
After helping to secure women the right to vote in Montana in 1914, Jeanette Rankin was the first woman to be sworn into Congress in April 1917. [Read more…] about Trailblazing Women: Jeannette Rankin
Trailblazing Women: Amelia Earhart
In 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