Discovering the Civil War

Online Exhibit
Discovering the Civil War Online Exhibit … View in the National Archives Catalog View in the National Archives Catalog For 150 years, researchers have been finding new insights in the records of the Civil War. They're not finished yet. You can join them in "Discovering the Civil War." "Discovering the Civil War" peels back 150 years of accumulated analysis, interpretation, and opinion to reveal a Civil War that is little-known and even more rarely displayed. The "Discovering the Civil War" exhibition …

Harvey Milk Writes to the President

Past Exhibit
Harvey Milk Writes to the President Past Exhibit … Human Rights at the Ballot Box In 1978, Californians voted on Proposition 6, which would have banned gay men and lesbians from teaching or otherwise being employed by California school districts. The initiative sponsored by State Senator John Briggs was opposed by a number of leading politicians, including former Governor Ronald Reagan and former President Gerald Ford. The Briggs Initiative was ultimately defeated at the polls in November 1978. Harvey …

Jimmy Carter: 39th President of the United States

Past Exhibit
Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States Current Exhibit … President Carter waves from the steps of Air Force One, May 17, 1977. Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum View in the National Archives Catalog President Carter waves from the steps of Air Force One, May 17, 1977. Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum View in the National Archives Catalog The National Archives honors President Jimmy Carter's memory with records from one of his greatest accomplishments as President—the …

Live from the Moon

Past Exhibit
Live from the Moon Past Exhibit … Watch telecast footage of the 1968 Apollo 8 Mission, the first manned spacecraft to reach the Moon and safely return. This multimedia presentation features photos of the Moon's surface taken from the spacecraft and an audio recording of the astronauts’ description of the lunar surface. Apollo 8: Live from the Moon - December 24, …

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm: “Unbought and Unbossed”

Past Exhibit
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm Unbought and Unbossed Past Exhibit … "First black woman congressman" In 1969, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman to serve in Congress, or, as she preferred, the "first black woman congressman." 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. During her seven …

Woodstock 1969

Past Exhibit
Woodstock 1969 Past Exhibit … The 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair featured some of the greatest performers of the time and attracted an audience of 400,000. One of the most famous musical events of the 20th century, Woodstock continues to be a powerful symbol of the 1960s and the counterculture movement. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this cultural touchstone, a Featured Document exhibit highlighting the history and legacy of three day festival of “Peace & Music” will be on display. Life …

Never Forget: Remembering the Holocaust

Past Exhibit
Never Forget Remembering the Holocaust Past Exhibit … 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz On January 27, 1945, Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp complex in German-occupied Poland. Russian soldiers discovered thousands of sick, dying, and dead prisoners when they entered the complex of concentration camps, forced labor camps, and a killing center abandoned by the Nazis. The Schutzstaffel (SS), Hitler's paramilitary organization, had attempted to destroy the camp before …

75th Anniversary of the United Nations Charter

Past Exhibit
75th Anniversary of the United Nations Charter Past Exhibit … Cooperating for post-war peace and security As World War II reached its climax, the United Nations Conference on International Organization convened on April 25, 1945, in San Francisco, CA, for the purpose of drafting the United Nations Charter. For two months, delegates from 50 nations representing every race, religion, and creed, worked to turn Allied proposals for the United Nations into a charter that all member nations agreed to. On June …

Black Wall Street: 100 Years Since the Tulsa Race Massacre

Past Exhibit
Black Wall Street 100 Years Since the Tulsa Race Massacre Past Exhibit … “--- were dead. Figures are omitted [because] NO ONE KNOWS.” —Red Cross Report On Memorial Day 1921, a Black shoe shiner named Dick Rowland rode in an elevator with white operator Sarah Page. The next day, Rowland was detained inside the Tulsa, Oklahoma, courthouse for the alleged assault of Page. Meanwhile, Tulsans gathered outside the courthouse to either witness or prevent Rowland’s possible lynching. During this gathering, shots …

Amending America

Online Exhibit
Amending America Online Exhibit … About the Exhibit 11,000 Attempts, 27 Amendments Only 27 times—out of more than 11,000 proposals—have Americans reached consensus to amend the Constitution. It is difficult—but not impossible—to turn an idea into an amendment. So few amendments have been successful because our Constitution sets a high bar to pass amendments. So, what kinds of proposals achieve enough support to become a ratified amendment? We have amended our Constitution to reshape fundamental rights, key …