Dr. Mae Jemison was the first African American woman to travel in space. Born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Jemison’s journey into the stars is a testament to the power of dreams and determination. 🚀
13,000 "Spirit Rappers" sign petition in 1854 💀🎃👻
In 1848, three sisters from New York--Leah, Margaret, and Kate Fox--claimed to hear mysterious "rapping" sounds from the dead. The sisters later admitted the spooky sounds were a hoax, but for many years they performed séances and other forms of mediumship that popularized Spiritualism, or the belief that spirits can communicate with the living.
In this petition, thousands of mystified Americans ask for a commission to investigate the paranormal. Congress rejected the request and ordered the petition to lie on the table.
usnatarchives reblogged
The National Archives is collaborating with the National Park Service on a special project to tag and transcribe 80,000+ pension records of American Revolution soldiers and their families—handwritten stories of their service and their lives.
Join today and become a Citizen Archivist!
Ever wondered how science was introduced to the public through media? Check out this 1948 comic book produced for General Electric! It offered readers a glimpse into atomic energy.
We’re honored to highlight a special archival record this #FilipinoAmericanHistoryMonth for #AskAnArchivist. This is a photo of our archivist Alex’s great-grandfather, a commander during #WWII, and the highest ranking Filipino officer in the U.S. Coast Guard!
A recent discovery in our holdings: in 1901, when Natives needed permission to travel off the reservation, this letter commended two Lakota performers in Buffalo Bill's Wild West who wanted to swing by the Crow Agency on their way home to Pine Ridge. #AskAnArchivistDay
usnatarchives reblogged
More than 100,000 American women served as nurses during WWII. This poster includes the local Nursing Council application location in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Learn more on our website: https://fdr.artifacts.archives.gov/objects/14667/serve-with-glory
Follow along throughout 2024 as we feature more #TheArtOfWar WWII posters from our collection.
This self portrait is a glamorous photo of a groundbreaking photographer. James Stephen “Steve” Wright was from a working-class family in Washington, DC. By the 1940s he was head of photographic operations for the Federal Works Agency.
This is what it looked like to use a computer in 1979!
Our electronic records date back even further than that - to 1971! Learn about our #DigiPres framework to protect, preserve, and share the records in our care.
usnatarchives reblogged
National Hero Day
At the start of World War II, the U.S. Navy restricted Black sailors to its “messman” branch. But the extraordinary heroism of Messman Doris “Dorie” Miller, who manned an anti-aircraft gun during Japan’s December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, helped initiate change. Publicity by the NAACP and the Black press about Miller’s exploits helped convince FDR to award him the Navy Cross—the first ever given to a Black sailor. In April 1942, the Navy announced that Black recruits would be trained in a range of specialties beyond messmen—including combat positions.
Miller became an iconic emblem of the fight for Black civil rights and his likeness was reproduced on buttons, wartime commemorative items, and prints like this one: https://fdr.artifacts.archives.gov/.../black-americans...
In November 1943, he was killed in action while serving aboard the escort carrier Liscome Bay when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine.
The print is currently on display in the FDR Library's special exhibition, BLACK AMERICANS, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND THE ROOSEVELTS, 1932-1962: https://www.fdrlibrary.org/civil-rights-special-exhibit
usnatarchives reblogged
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
In May 1969, members of the President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped visited President Nixon at the White House. William Passmore, Handicapped American of the Year, pinned a "Hire the Handicapped" button to President Nixon’s lapel. Also attending the event were Laura Passmore (mother of William), musical performer Stevie Wonder, Lula Mae Hardaway (Wonder's mother), other committee members, and essay-winning teens. (Image: PAR.53.4.4)
Don't be a litterbug! 🐛
Check out the humorous artwork discovered on vintage decals from the Borden Decalcomania company records. Found in the National Archives Denver our Glacier National Park holdings, they appear to have been mailed to drum up business with the park.
Happy 100th Birthday, Jimmy Carter! 🎂🎉
Jimmy Carter in the Grand Tetons, Wyoming - August 26, 1978.
You can also browse through some wonderful contact sheets from the First Family’s vacation in the Grand Tetons here.
Check out more presidential history posts from our @ourpresidents account.