The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth

Past Exhibit
The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth Ongoing Exhibit … Milestones in the long struggle for American freedom Emancipation Proclamation President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. Lincoln's proclamation, which declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free,” was “a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing rebellion.” The Proclamation also …

80 Years Since the End of World War II

Past Exhibit
80 Years Since the End of World War II Current Exhibit … World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history, ended six years and one day after the war erupted in Europe. On September 2, 1945, just four months after Nazi Germany’s surrender, Japanese officials issued an imperial order and signed a formal surrender ending hostilities in the Pacific Theater. Instrument of Surrender, September 2, 1945. Records of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff View in the National Archives Catalog Instrument of …

Opening the Vault: Freedom Train 1947

Virtual Exhibit
Opening the Vault Freedom Train 1947 Virtual Exhibit … In September 1947, a seven-car train set off from Philadelphia on a journey around the U.S. with precious cargo on board: more than a hundred of the country’s most valued historical documents. The museum on rails was called the Freedom Train. It was a major civic and educational project designed to energize the country with American …