National Archives Virtual Daytime Programs in February
Press Release · Monday, January 24, 2022

Washington, DC

Join us for virtual programs in February: author book talks on topics ranging from U.S. Presidents to Rosa Parks, educational programs on the Constitution, and a special series from the LBJ Presidential Library, The Presidents: The Lives Behind the Legends. On February 11, we will offer several civics programs for students in grades K–12 that are part of the National Archives’ national civic education initiative: We Rule: Civics for All of US. These events are free and open to the public and streamed online with recordings available afterwards.

Book Talk – FDR in American Memory: Roosevelt and the Making of an Icon
Tuesday, February 1, at 1 p.m. ET
Register in advance; watch the live stream on our YouTube Channel
How was FDR's image constructed—by himself and others—as such a powerful icon in American memory? In FDR in American Memory, author Sara Polak analyzes Roosevelt as a cultural icon in American memory, one who carefully and intentionally built his public image. Focusing on FDR’s use of media and his negotiation of the world as a disabled person, she shows how he consistently aligned himself with modernity. Drawing on recent and well-known cultural artifacts—including novels, movies, documentaries, popular biographies, museums, and memorials—Polak looks at portrayals of FDR in cultural memory from the vantage point of the early 21st century.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum Exhibit Sneak Peek - FDR’s Final Campaign
Wednesday, February 2, at 2 p.m. ET
Watch the video on the FDR Library’s YouTube Channel
Get a sneak peek inside the library's newest special exhibit. FDR’s Final Campaign immerses visitors in the final momentous months of President Roosevelt’s life and Presidency. Featuring rarely seen documents, photographs, film, and artifacts it explores FDR’s vision for the future of his nation and the world—and the campaign he undertook to secure it. At the center of that vision was the creation of the United Nations organization.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library – The Presidents: The Lives Behind the Legends 
Wednesdays, February 2, 9 & 16, at 3 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT
Register in advance (only once for the entire series that began in January)

February 2: Fredrik Logevall speaking on John F. Kennedy
February 9: Christopher Leahy speaking on John Tyler
February 16: Alexis Coe speaking on George Washington

No figure looms as large in American history as the nation’s President. Our schools and political traditions teach us that these men uniquely embodied their eras and shaped the country’s destiny. But who are the Presidents, the flesh-and-blood individuals who rose to the nation’s highest office? What motivated them? How did they achieve their successes and cope with failure? What legacies did they leave?

This series of programs explores such questions through lively discussion with eminent Presidential biographers. Explore the evolution of the Presidency itself to the present day.

This series is co-hosted by the LBJ Presidential Library and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of Texas at Austin. If you have questions about this series, email friends@lbjfoundation.org.

Book Talk – George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father
Tuesday, February 8, at 1 p.m. ET
Register in advance; watch the live stream on our YouTube Channel
Award-winning historian David O. Stewart presents a fascinating account of how George Washington became the dominant force in the creation of the United States of America. In this new portrait of George Washington, Stewart unveils the political education that made Washington a master politician—and America’s most essential leader. From Virginia’s House of Burgesses, where Washington mastered the craft and timing of a practicing politician, to his management of local government as a justice of the Fairfax County Court to his eventual role in the Second Continental Congress and his grueling generalship in the American Revolution, Washington perfected the art of governing and service, earned trust, and built bridges. The lessons in leadership he absorbed along the way would be invaluable during the early years of the republic as he fought to unify the new nation. Joining the author in conversation will be historian and author Lindsay M. Chervinsky.

Distance Learning Programs for Students—“We Rule: Civics for All of US” 
Friday, February 11, at 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 2:15 p.m. ET
These programs are offered as a part of We Rule: Civics for All of US, a new education initiative from the National Archives that promotes civic literacy and engagement. Our interactive distance learning programs draw upon the vast holdings of the National Archives to promote the knowledge and skills students need for civic engagement in the 21st century. Each program is led by one of our educators located at National Archives sites and Presidential Libraries across the country. Check www.archives.gov/education/civic-education for more information, including how to request a program for groups of 10 or more students. 

• Voting Rights, the Constitution, & Representative Government (Grades 6–8)
  11:15 a.m. ET; Register online
  Using the Constitution, constitutional amendments, and legislation, students will explore the progression of voting rights in the United States and its impact on representative government. Additional primary source documents from the National Archives, including photographs and political cartoons, will enhance student understanding of the ways in which contemporary events and public civic engagement influence their lives today.
• No Conscription Without Representation: Voting Rights and the Constitution (Grades 9–12)
  1:15 p.m. ET; Register online
  Using the Constitution, constitutional amendments, legislation, and a Supreme Court case, students will explore the progression of voting rights in the United States with particular focus on the effort to lower the voting age to 18. Additional primary source documents from the National Archives, including photographs, video recordings, and political cartoons, will enhance student understanding of the ways in which contemporary events and public civic engagement influence their lives today.
• The Constitution Rules! (Grades K–2)
  2:15 p.m. ET; Register online
  In this program, students will explore the idea of different responsibilities in their community and analyze images that highlight the jobs of the three branches of government as outlined in the Constitution.

Young Learners Program – Meet Rosa Parks
Thursday, February 17, at 11 a.m. ET
Watch the live stream on our YouTube Channel
Young learners can meet Rosa Parks (portrayed by Marti Gobel). It’s December 2, 1955—just a day after her arrest for her courageous actions on a public bus in Montgomery, AL. Her actions sparked a movement permanently changing the tapestry of United States history. Parks will talk about her life growing up in Tuskegee, AL, what led her to take a stand on that day in December, the friends and fellow civil rights activists who helped her get released from jail, and how that single day led to a rich career dedicated to elevating the lives of Blacks in America and earned her the name “the first lady of civil rights.”

Book Talk – His Greatest Speeches: How Lincoln Moved the Nation
Thursday, February 17, at 1 p.m. ET
Register in advance; watch the live stream on our YouTube Channel
Author Diana Schaub gives an expert analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s three most powerful speeches: the Lyceum Address, the Gettysburg Address, and the Second Inaugural. Schaub discusses how Lincoln believed that our national character was defined by three key moments: the writing of the Constitution, our declaration of independence from England, and the beginning of slavery on the North American continent. His thoughts on these landmarks can be traced through these three speeches.  In His Greatest Speeches, Schaub offers a line-by-line analysis of these timeless works, placing them in historical context and explaining the brilliance behind their rhetoric. Lucas Morel, author and professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, will join the author in conversation.

Book Talk – A House Built by Slaves: African American Visitors to the Lincoln White House
Wednesday, February 23, at 5 p.m. ET
Register in advance; watch the live stream on our YouTube Channel
Author Jonathan W. White presents the story of how President Abraham Lincoln welcomed African Americans to his White House in America’s most divided and war-torn era and why that transformed the trajectory of race relations in the United States. Beginning with his 1862 meetings with Black Christian ministers, Lincoln invited African Americans of every background into his home, from ex-slaves from the Deep South to champions of abolitionism such as Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. The President conferred with his guests about the essential issues of citizenship and voting rights. Drawing from an array of primary sources, White reveals how African Americans used the White House as a national stage to amplify their calls for equality. 

George H.W. Bush Library and Museum Student Program – A Day in the Life of a U.S. Secret Service Agent
Thursday, February 24, two sessions at 11:30 a.m. ET/10:30 a.m. CT and 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT
Register in advance to stream or receive a recording afterwards
Join Senior Special Agent Michael Hecht to learn more about the fascinating daily duties of the Secret Service agents who protect our Presidents. Their unique work is filled with intriguing adventures as they accompany the President around the world. Wherever our United States Presidents go, the Secret Service also goes.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum – Lunch & Learn
Thursday, February 24, at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT
Register in advance
This monthly series is held on the fourth Thursday of each month. The 2022 program theme is “Dwight Eisenhower: The Making of a Leader” and will focus on family, military, Presidency, and mentorship.