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June 2013
Washington, DC, Area Events

Watch our programs live on Ustream! All book lectures and evening programs are streamed live for free at www.ustream.tv/usnationalarchives.

Program Highlights

• An Evening with Congressman John Lewis
  NPR correspondent Scott Simon talks with Congressman John Lewis about his life’s work protecting human rights and securing civil liberties. Lewis will sign copies of the commemorative edition of the Emancipation Proclamation. (June 6)
• The Space Program under Presidents Nixon and Ford
  A panel discusses the early days of the American space program as it developed under Presidents Nixon and Ford (June 13)
• “Our Nixon”
  The DC premiere of Our Nixon presents previously unseen home movies made by three of Nixon’s top White House aides–John Erlichman, H.R. Haldeman, and Dwight Chapin. (June 22)
• Noontime Lectures
  Hear the authors of The Founding Conservatives:How a Group of Unsung Heros Saved the American Revolution (June 12); The Miserable Expeditions and Dreadful Death of Lt. Emory Taunt, USN (June 20); Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor: The Forging of American Independence, 1774–1776 (June 26); and Defending the Old Dominion: Virginia and its Militia in the War of 1812 (June 28)
  
• Know Your Records
  Get started with the Introduction to Genealogy workshop (June 5); learn about Pickett’s Charge on its 150th anniversary (June 11); learn how to navigate archives.gov (June 12) go “Beyond the Basics” to learn about the 1940 census (June 15) and Congressional private claims (June 19); look for the next step at the “Help! I’m Stuck” clinic (June 15); or learn about the records of the U.S. Military Railroad (June 25).

Wednesday, June 5, at 11 a.m.
Room G-25, Research Center (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
Introduction to Genealogy at the National Archives
Learn how to do basic genealogical research using Federal records at the National Archives. Lectures take place on the first Wednesday of the month.

Thursday, June 6, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
An Evening with Congressman John Lewis
Often called “one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced,” John Lewis has dedicated his life to protecting human rights and securing civil liberties. NPR correspondent and Peabody Award winner Scott Simon talks with Lewis about his service to the nation. Congressman Lewis will sign copies of the commemorative edition of the Emancipation Proclamation. Seating will be limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tuesday, June 11, at 11 a.m.
Room G-25, Research Center (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
Civil War: Pickett’s Charge
On the 150th anniversary of Pickett's Charge, program analyst Robert Tringali discusses the infantry assault by Robert E. Lee on the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Wednesday, June 12, at 9:30 a.m.
Library (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
Genealogy Workshop: Using National Archives Online Resources
Archives specialist Nancy Wing teaches a 90-minute, hands-on workshop on how to navigate archives.gov. If you don’t know where to start or have gotten lost in your research, this workshop will help you use archives.gov to reach your research goals. Registration required; classes are limited to seven seats. Email Nancy.Wing@nara.gov.

Repeated Wednesday, June 26, at 9:30 a.m. in the Library (Penn. Ave. Entrance)

Wednesday, June 12, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
The Founding Conservatives: How a Group of Unsung Heros Saved the American Revolution by David Lefer
According to most narratives of the American Revolution, the founders were united in their quest for independence. Professor David Lefer argues that if not for a small circle of conservatives who kept the radicals in check, our country would be vastly different today. A book signing will follow the program.

Thursday, June 13, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
The Space Program under Presidents Nixon and Ford
In this illustrated lecture, a panel discusses the American space program as it developed under Presidents Nixon and Ford, including the Apollo missions to the Moon, the decision to develop the space shuttle, and the 1975 Apollo–Soyuz test project. Roger Launius, senior curator in the Division of Space History at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, will moderate a panel including John Logsdon, professor emeritus of George Washington University; William Barry, chief historian at NASA; and others. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Archives Office of Presidential Libraries.

Saturday, June 15, at 10 a.m.
Room G-25, Research Center (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
“Beyond the Basics” Genealogy: 1940 Census
The 1940 census is the most recent census available for genealogical research. Claire Kluskens, archivist, discusses the information in this census and search strategies for accessing it.

Saturday, June 15, noon–4 p.m.
Room G-25, Research Center (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
“Help! I’m Stuck” Genealogy Clinic
Answers to your genealogy research questions are available in 20-minute appointments with an archivist. Sign up at the Research Commons desk on Saturday.

Wednesday, June 19, at 11 a.m.
Room G-25, Research Center (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
“Beyond the Basics” Genealogy: Congressional Private Claims
Increase your archival research skills with a lecture on “Finding Family in Congressional Private Claims, 1789–1946” by genealogy specialist John Deeben. Learn about petitions and memorials submitted to the House and Senate on public and private matters, how the claims process worked, and what kinds of personal or family information can be found in these records.

Thursday, June 20, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Congo: The Miserable Expeditions and Dreadful Death of Lt. Emory Taunt, USN
Lt. Emory Taunt, the first resident diplomat in the Congo Free State, was sent up the Congo River by the U.S. government in May 1885. He was to explore as much of the river as possible and report on opportunities for Americans in the potentially rich African marketplace. But five years later, he died bankrupt and disgraced. Author and former naval aviator Andrew Jampoler provides us with a fascinating look at Taunt’s brief life and the role the United States played in the birth of the Congo nation. A book signing will follow the program.

Saturday, June 22, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Washington, DC, premiere of Our Nixon
Throughout Richard Nixon’s Presidency, three of his top White House aides (John Erlichman, H.R. Haldeman, Dwight Chapin) documented their experiences with Super 8 home movie cameras. The documentary Our Nixon presents those home movies for the first time, along with other rare footage, creating a intimate and complex portrait of the Nixon Presidency. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Presented in partnership with AFI Docs Film Festival. (2013; 85 minutes.)

Tuesday, June 25, at 11 a.m.
Room G-25, Research Center (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
The U.S. Military Railroad during the Civil War
David Pfeiffer, archivist, discusses records relating to the U.S. Military Railroad during the Civil War. His talk is based on his Prologue magazine article “Working Magic with Cornstalks and Beanpoles.”
(Repeated on Thursday, June 27, at 11 a.m. Lecture Room B, National Archives at College Park, MD)

Wednesday, June 26, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor: The Forging of American Independence, 1774–1776
Historian Richard R. Beeman describes the dramatic story of how a group of men with different backgrounds, different politics, and different goals dedicated their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the “common cause” that would take America from a colony to a republic, and turn Americans from subjects into citizens. A book signing will follow the program.

Friday, June 28, at noon
Jefferson Room
Defending the Old Dominion: Virginia and its Militia in the War of 1812
Author and archivist Stuart Butler discusses the events in Virginia during the War of 1812, and examines how Virginia’s militia was organized and supplied by the Commonwealth, as well as the state’s ability to defend itself against British incursions. He will also discuss the story of the nearly two thousand former slaves who joined the British forces to fight in Virginia. A book signing will follow the program.

Exhibitions

Permanent Exhibits

Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom

• Declaration of Independence
• Constitution
• Bill of Rights

“The Charters of Freedom: Our Nation’s Founding Documents” takes a fresh look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Using historical documents from the holdings of the National Archives, we answer two key questions about the Charters: “How did they happen?” and “Why are they important?” This Rotunda exhibit also touches on the roles played by women and slaves in the Revolutionary War. Don’t miss the remarkable story of Elizabeth Burgin’s heroic role in a successful plot to free soldiers from British prison ships.

“The Public Vaults” invites visitors into virtual stack areas to discover historic documents, films, maps, and photographs from the National Archives. In interactive displays, visitors may hear Presidents discuss some of the country’s greatest challenges, step into the boots of soldiers on the front lines, or follow an investigation of the sinking of the Titanic.

A special display celebrating President Nixon's centennial features artifacts related to the Apollo 11 mission and the original U.S./Soviet agreement of cooperation.

A rare print on parchment of the Declaration of Independence—made from the original copperplate engraved by William J. Stone in 1823—is on display for a limited time. Courtesy of David M. Rubenstein.

This year’s featured adventurer in “Polar Exploration” is Marie Peary Stafford, the daughter of explorer Robert E. Peary, who was born and spent the first months of her life in Greenland.

Magna Carta Display
The 1297 Magna Carta’s new interactive display allows visitors to closely examine the document, generate a translation from the original Latin, and discover the connections between Magna Carta and American history. The 1297 Magna Carta is on loan to the National Archives from David M. Rubenstein. West Rotunda Gallery

Special Exhibition in Washington, DC

“Searching for the Seventies” Exhibit Opening
Bad fashion, odd fads, and disco dance music sum up the 1970s for many Americans. We contrast those years to the politically committed 1960s and economically booming 1980s. But the1970s were much more than leisure suits, streaking, and disco. During the seventies, profound changes took root in our politics, society, environment, and economy.

Take a new look at the decade through the lens of a Federal photography project called Project DOCUMERICA. Created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1971, DOCUMERICA was born out of the decade’s environmental awakening. The photographers hired by the EPA took thousands of color photographs depicting pollution, waste, and blight, but they were given the freedom to also capture the era’s trends, fashions, and cultural shifts. Through September 8, 2013, Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery

Featured Document on Display in Washington, DC

Alexander Gardner photographs of Gettysburg
In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the National Archives will display two vintage albumen photographs by Alexander Gardner. The two photographs, "Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter," and "A Sharpshooter's Last Sleep," were taken shortly after the battle and were part of Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War (1866). June 18 through July 15, East Rotunda Gallery

Special Exhibition in College Park, Maryland

Auditorium Lobby at the National Archives Research Center:

"The Long View" features digitally produced facsimiles of historic panoramic photographs from the Still Picture holdings.

The exhibit not only showcases the wide variety of panoramic techniques, but also includes National Archives records such as cartographic maps and patent drawings that relate to the photographs. Thirty-four panoramas and other records are on display and span the period from 1864 to 1997.
See more panoramas online

Online Exhibits

Dozens of exhibits can be experienced online. Visit Now!

To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis
An exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis..

“What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?”
Unearth the stories and personalities behind the increasingly complex programs and legislation that affect what we eat. Learn about the Government’s extraordinary efforts, successes, and failures to change our eating habits. Find out why the Government wanted us to “Eat the Carp,” “Share the Meat,” and “Know Our Onions.” There are over 100 original records in the exhibit—including folk songs, war posters, educational films, and even seed packets. From Revolutionary War rations to Cold War cultural exchanges, discover the multiple ways that food has occupied the hearts and minds of Americans and their Government.
Online exhibit

Discovering the Civil War
Unlock secrets, solve mysteries, and uncover unexpected events in this most extensive display ever assembled from the incomparable Civil War holdings of the National Archives.
Online exhibit

Eyewitness:  American Originals from the National Archives
Drawing on rarely displayed documents, audio recordings, and film footage culled from the extensive holdings of the National Archives and its Presidential libraries, "Eyewitness" features first-person accounts of watershed moments in history. Online exhibit

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