Pieces of History Blog
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Pieces of History brings you the latest discoveries from the vast holdings of the Archives of more than 15 billion pages of records, miles and miles of tape and film, and a growing number of electronic records. We also bring to you information about the agency itself from our creation in 1934 to the establishment of the most recent Presidential library. Join us as we share stories from the..
Pieces of History Blog
19h ago
December 15 is Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Today we’re looking at the man who cared for the original Bill of Rights—and 126 other documents—during the 16-month Freedom Train trip across the country. The Freedom Train was a seven-car train that traveled across ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
2w ago
Long before the President of the United States pardoned a turkey to celebrate Thanksgiving, the President of Congress issued proclamations encouraging its celebration. We at the National Archives have written a lot about the history of Thanksgiving as a federal holiday, often focusing on Thanksgiving proclamations under the U.S. Constitution or the aforementioned Presidential turkey ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
1M ago
November is Native American Heritage Month. Visit National Archives News for more information on related events and resources. Today’s post from Mary Ryan is an update of her 2011 Prologue article. In the second half of the 19th century, federal Indian policy shifted from military confrontation to efforts to “civilize” and assimilate the native peoples ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
1M ago
November 11 is Veterans Day. Visit the National Archives website to learn more about our Veterans Day holdings. Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an expert archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. The early 20th century was a time of intense upheaval and paradigm shift change across the ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
1M ago
Ahead of Veterans Day the National Archives is honoring those who served our country with a special #ArchivesHashtagParty, #ArchivesSalute! on Friday, November 1, 2024. Visit us on social media to see everything from military service records to heroic photos, highlighting those have defended, protected, and served our Constitution! Today’s post from Paige Weaver is an ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
1M ago
We’re celebrating American Archives Month by looking back on the history of the National Archives. If you have ever researched at the National Archives you are familiar with the concept of a record group. Within the National Archives, a record group is basically a collection of records that belong to the government entity that created or maintained ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
2M ago
“The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World,” a gift from France, was dedicated on October 28, 1886, and was designated as a National Monument 100 years ago on October 15, 1924. Since 1886 the Statue of Liberty has stood in New York Harbor. It was a collaboration between sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and French historian ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
2M ago
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and American Archives Month, today’s Historic Staff Spotlight is on Cuban-born National Archives intern turned staff member, Mario Lopez Feliu. It’s from Alyssa Moore in the National Archives History Office. Mario Lopez Feliu was born on March 22, 1918, in Havana, Cuba. In 1946, while heading the preservation department ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
2M ago
October 1 is International Coffee Day. Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an expert archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s a beverage that millions of people consume to kick-start their day. You can serve it hot, cold, with or without sugar or milk, and it has a ..read more
Pieces of History Blog
2M ago
Today’s post by Robert Pines, a public affairs specialist with Public and Media Communications in Washington, DC, is inspired by a photo series he found while browsing the National Archives Catalog. “All the essential characteristics of a coal-mining community—except for the coal dust and the odors—are portrayed.” These are the words used in promotional material ..read more