250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party Past Exhibit … The Destruction of the Tea It wouldn’t be known as the “Boston Tea Party” for another 50 years, but the destruction of the tea in 1773 marked a critical turning point in the brewing American Revolution. Boston was not alone in resisting British imperial policies considered oppressive by American colonists. Ports along the eastern seaboard prevented East India Company tea from landing in defiance of the 1773 Tea Act, which imposed no new tax on tea …

Courting Confrontation The Arrest of Susan B Anthony Past Exhibit … On November 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony and 14 other women attempted to vote in Rochester, New York, challenging section one of the 14th Amendment, which states, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” Allowed by election officials to successfully register and cast their ballots in the 1872 election, they were later arrested and charged for “knowingly, …

Sylvia Mendez and the Struggle for Mexican American Civil Rights Current Exhibit … What inspired me is that my parents fought for me when I was very young. . . . They wanted me to know that I was an individual . . . that we're all individuals, that we're all human beings and that we're all connected together and that we all have the same rights; the same freedom. –Sylvia Mendez, February 16, 2011 Sylvia Mendez. Photograph by Richard Rivera, October 12, 2011. Image courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of …

70th Anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Past Exhibit … On April 4, 1949, in his brief remarks at the treaty signing ceremony, President Harry S. Truman said the North Atlantic Treaty “would create a shield against aggression and fear of aggression--a bulwark which will permit us to get on with the real business of . . .achieving a fuller and happier life for all of our citizens.”  In honor of the NATO 70th Anniversary Summit, the National Archives and Records Administration is pleased to display this …

50th Anniversary of Apollo XI Moon Landing Past Exhibit … On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong made one small step that forever changed history. In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing, view National Archives records that detail the carefully choreographed sequence of steps—from lift-off to splash-down—that resulted in the mission’s “giant leap for mankind." Apollo 11 Mission image - Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin walks near the Lunar Module, July 20, 1969. National …

Thanksgiving Historical Perspectives Past Exhibit … A Harvest Celebration During the autumn of 1621, at least 90 Wampanoag joined 52 English people at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, to mark a successful harvest. It is remembered today as the “First Thanksgiving,” although no one back then used that term. In fact, much of the so-called First Thanksgiving story was created decades and centuries later. As a result, many assumptions about the festival at Plymouth and its connection to Thanksgiving …

All American The Power of Sports Past Exhibit … All American: The Power of Sports The power of sports has many applications. Sports unite people, teach values, and inspire hope and pride. In the United States, sports have powered efforts to bring citizens together, shape them, and project a vision of what it means to be American. But sports convey power to athletes too—power to break social barriers and protest injustice. All American explores the power of sports both to embody our national ideals and …

Vicecapades 150th Anniversary of the 1873 Comstock Act Past Exhibit … An Act for the Suppression of, trade in, and circulation of obscene literature and articles of immoral use known as the Comstock Act Anthony Comstock (1844–1915), a self-appointed guardian of public morality, successfully lobbied Congress for stricter obscenity laws and secured an appointment as a special agent to the United States Postal Service with broad powers to police the mails. The law did not define obscenity—Comstock did. In …

Celebrating Anna May Wong Past Exhibit … “I want to be an actress, not a freak.” Anna May Wong Film legend Anna May Wong’s talent could not be contained by the racist casting of early Hollywood movies. Born Wong Liu Tsong in Los Angeles in 1905, Wong ditched school to sneak onto film sets. She appeared in her first film at age 14 and quickly became a star. Although frustrated by the Asian stereotypes she was forced to play, she appeared in over 60 films and became the first Chinese American international …