Prologue Magazine - The National Archives Quarterly

A Victor in Defeat: Chief Gall's Life on the Standing Rock Reservation

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Lakota Chief Gall, a leader at the Battle of Little Big Horn, had to adopt a new status as an agency Indian following his surrender to the U.S. Army in 1881. This is his story.

Winema and the Modoc War: One Woman's Struggle for Peace

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Winema Riddle was one of the few women to earn a government pension for her courage in battle. Stranger still, she was a woman of the Modoc nation. Through brave ambition, she sought to foster better relations between her tribe and the U.S. Government.

"Jitterbugs" and "Crackpots": Letters to the FCC about the "War of the Worlds" Broadcast

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Almost 70 years ago, Orson Welles threw the nation into a panic with tales of killer aliens taking over planet earth. This is how the public responded.

Archival Vintage for The Grapes of Wrath

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Daniel Nealand examines the real-life characters behind John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

Forty Years Ago

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

From our Prologue vaults, we look back at October 1962 when America was on the brink of all out war with the Soviet Union. From the documents of the JFK Presidential Library, retrace the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Reclaiming Pieces of Camelot: How NARA and the JFK Library Recovered Missing Kennedy Documents and Artifacts

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Prologue investigates how the National Archives and JFK Presidential Library recovered stolen parts of our American archives.

An Extraordinary President and His Remarkable Cabinet

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

150 years ago this Friday, the unofficial start of the Civil War occured when John Brown made his raid on Harpers Ferry. Lincoln and his carefully constructed cabinet would play a large part in reshaping the landscape of America following this conflict. Ellen Fried takes a closer look at these influential men in an interview Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the popular book, Team of Rivals.

Enhancing Your Family Tree with Civil War Maps

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As we approach the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War, Prologue revisits Trevor K. Plante's advice on bringing your family tree to life with Civil War-era maps.

Nazi Looted Art: The Holocaust Records Preservation Project

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As the decades pass since the end of World War II, the National Archives remains an important reminder of all that was lost in such a turbulent period. This tells the story of the art and artifacts that were lost, and sometimes found, after the war.

Revisiting Korea: Exposing Myths of the Forgotten War

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Fifty-nine years ago this week, United Nations forces cross the 38th parallel in one of the bloodiest moments of the Cold War. Rediscover the Forgotten War, as Prologue exposes the myths of this conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Jefferson Buys Louisiana Territory, and the Nation Moves Westward

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

At four cents an acre, the Louisiana Purchase remains one of the best real estate deals in history, and like all land purchases, took a great deal of paperwork. Now that paper trail, and the story it tells, is housed at the National Archives.

"Incited by the Love of Liberty": The Amistad Captives and the Federal Courts

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

One hundred seventy years ago this week, the rebellious slaves aboard Amistad were indicted for piracy. Their quest for freedom played out on the high seas, and later within the U.S. Federal court system.

Catch Harry S. Truman's Lobster Joke on YouTube

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This Fall, Prologue is publishing for the first time the letters of Bess Truman to her husband, President Harry Truman. To celebrate one of the most endearing marriages in presidential history, the National Archives is posting rarely seen footage of Harry and Bess on our YouTube channel, lobster joke included.

Rich, Famous, and Questionably Sane

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Psychiatric records from a government hospital provide a peek into the private lives of wealthy and prominent families and their squabbles over sanity.

The Emancipation Proclamation

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

One hundred forty seven years ago Tuesday, Abraham Lincoln put pen to paper and freed a nation with the Emancipation Proclamation. Prologue celebrates this landmark moment in civil rights with a look at this historic document.

Voices of Emancipation: Union Pension Files Giving Voice to Former Slaves

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

After the Civil War, African American citizens provided an oral history of their lives in bondage. Celebrating the 147th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 150th anniversary of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry this October, Prologue looks back on stories of the newly emancipated.

Mutual Admiration and a Few Jokes: The Correspondence of Harry Truman with Groucho and Harpo Marx

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Letters in the Truman Library reveal the unlikely relationship between the President and two of the Marx Brothers.

The First Proposal or What a Future President of the United States Did When He Was Rejected by the Woman He Loved

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As Prologue gets ready to release some of Bess Truman's rarely seen letters to Harry, Prologue looks at the rough start to this long and happy marriage.

Harry Truman, Poker Player

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The 33rd President often looked forward to a game of cards to relax and enjoy the company of friends or his staff � and even a visiting British legend.

De Smet, Dakota Territory, Little Town in the National Archives

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

35 years ago this week, the Little House on the Prarie premiered on televisions across America. Prologue takes a look at the paper trail left by the Charles Ingall and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Adventures with Grandpa

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As Prologue gets ready to release some of Bess Truman's rarely seen letters to Harry, grandson Clifton Truman Daniel recalls what is was like growing up with the Man from Independence.

To Protect and to Serve: The Records of the D.C. Metropolitan Police, 1861�1930

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A look at the men and women who protected and served our nations's capital, Washington, D.C., all the way from the Civil War to the Great Depression.

Sage Prophet or Loose Cannon?

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A sharp Navy intelligence officer predicted Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor while earning the ire of the top brass.

Opening the Files on War Crimes

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

After opening 8.5 million pages of previously sealed documents, a final report from the panel that made public documents on Nazi and Japanese actions during World War II.

American POWs on Japanese Ships Take a Voyage into Hell

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Five separate stories from the survivors of Japan's "Hell Ships" as told through the holdings of the Access to Archival Database.

Beyond the Box Score

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This week marks the anniversary of the first televised Major League Baseball game. Explore a wealth of information about baseball and its illustrious past found in an unlikely place�the records of the National Archives.

Documenting the Struggle for Racial Equality in the Decade of the Sixties

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Forty-six years ago this week, Marting Luther King, Jr. gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. This archived Prologue article provides an overview of NARA records relating to the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

LBJ: Still Casting a Long Shadow

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This week, Lyndon Baynes Johnson turns 101. Read about the legacies of the Great Society and the Vietnam War buildup that shape how we look at the nation's 36th President.

Monuments, Manifest Destiny, and Mexico

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican boundary line is drawn, and redrawn, amid politics and turmoil on both sides of the border.

Sixty Years Later, the Story of PT-109 Still Captivates

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

His boat destroyed, John F. Kennedy eludes the Japanese and challenges the sea to lead his crew to safety and becomes a war hero.

Ike's Interstates at 50: Anniversary of the Highway System Recalls Eisenhower's Role as Catalyst

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Young Dwight Eisenhower's views on the importance of good roads later served as a catalyst in creating today's half-century-old interstate highway system.

The Frozen Sucker War

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In pre-air-conditioning America, Good Humor and Popsicle square off in search of market share in the growing frozen sucker market.

The National Archives is now on Facebook

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

First YouTube, then Flickr, now Facebook! The US National Archives is going Web 2.0. Look at historic pictures, find out what's on at an Archives location near you, and interact with our nine billion documents, all from the comfort of your computer.

A Heavy Sea Running: The Formation of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, 1846-1878

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

August 4, 2009, marks the 219th birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard. In the mid-18th century the Coast Guard worked with another organization, the U.S. Life-Saving Servce, to save those in need off America's coastline. This is the fascinating story of the first federal service devoted to saving victims of shipwrecks.

The "Z Plan" Story

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In 1944, Japan's plans for a final decisive counterattack against allied forces in the Pacific, called "The Z Plan," fell into the hands of American military intelligence personnel, giving the allies the advantage in what would become the largest aircraft carrier battle in world history: the Battle for the Phillippine Sea.

From Pearl Harbor to Elvis: Images That Endure

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Out of the nine million images in our Still Pictures section, these eleven images are the most popular. See them here, or on our new U.S. National Archives Facebook page.

A Time to Act: The Beginning of the Fritz Kolbe Story, 1900 - 1904

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The first in a five part series from our archives, Greg Bradsher explores how German diplomatic officer Fritz Kolbe - code named George Wood - fed the United States and its allies valuable information about the Nazi Third Reich from his post in the German foreign office. The information went to Switzerland, where it was received by the American spymaster, Allen Dulles. Dulles, who would later head the CIA, called Kolbe "our best source in Germany". This is his story.

Tear Down This Wall

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

How four simple words became one of Ronald Reagan's best lines in one of his most memorable speeches.

The "Fast Mail:" A History of the U.S. Railway Mail Service

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As the railroads speeded America's westward movement, post office cars made the nation's mail move faster, too. Here's a new perspective on the nation's expansion to the Pacific.

The NHPRC: Extending the Archives's Reach

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) plays an integral role in preserving American history through providing assistance to state and local governments, colleges and universities, and nonprofit institutions. Since its creation the NHPRC has funded 4,500 projects and invested 185 million dollars across the country.

Lead the Way: Researching US Army Indian Scouts

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The story of how President Ulysses S. Grant became the first, and so far, only U.S. president to testify voluntarily in a criminal trial. The testimony was found, properly filed many years ago, was rediscovered in 2000 by a NARA staff archivist. The testimony was part of the Whiskey Ring trials, which involved charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. treasury. The trial captured widespread media attention and helped to hang the "scandal-ridden" tag on the Grant Administration.

Prologue is now on Scribd!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Interested in purchasing single articles from Prologue Magazine? Now you can on Scribd.com for just a dollar!

Bridging the Mississippi: The Railroads and Steamboats Clash at the Rock Island Bridge

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In the 1850s, there was intense competition for the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, a key portal to the opening of the West. Northerners and Southerners competed for the honor. The battle pitted the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, against an Illinois railroad lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. Read of their first meeting in this award-winning article from the Prologue archives.

Lead the Way: Researching US Army Indian Scouts

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Expert Trevor K. Plante guides readers through researching US Army Indian Scouts in this genealogy feature.

Safeguarding Hoover Dam during World War II

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Government took major steps during World War II to protect Hoover Dam, a major source of electricity for southern California and seen as a possible target for Japanese bombers. And they considered a number of other proposals to protect the dam, including a decoy.

When the "Enemy" Landed at Angel Island

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The story of hostile aliens and deported resident radicals interned at San Francisco's Angel Island during World War I

The Panama Canal: The African American Experience

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

45 Years ago this month, Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. Prologue looks back with an archived article highlighting the African American experience in the Panama Canal.

Black Domestics During the Depression: Workers, Organizers, Social Commentators

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In this article from the Prologue's 1997 issue, the story of African Americans in the New Deal is told through the documents of the National Archives.

In the King's Service

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Benjamin Franklin wasn’t the only one who played a part in establishing our postal system. Learn more about Hugh Finlay and the postal system in Colonial America

Hemingway on War and its Aftermath

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

110 years ago this July one of America's greatest writers, Ernest Hemingway, was born in a small Chicago suburb. Read about Hemingway and how his involvement in two world wars, and a handful of other conflicts, affected his writing.

Listening to Nixon: An Archivist's Reflections on His Work with the White House Tapes

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Five men were arrested in June 1972 at the National Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate hotel complex, kicking off a series of events that would eventually lead to the resignation of President Nixon two years later. Read about Watergate, the "smoking gun" tape recording, and other lesser–known moments caught on audio tape here.

Our Story

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Prologue reflects on the National Archives' 75 years

Wearing Lipstick to War

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Her gravestone sits on Omaha beach where 65 years ago this June allied troops landed as part of D-Day, history's largest amphibious invasion. Before and after the assault on Normandy, American Red Cross volunteers like Elizabeth Richardson provided respite to war-weary soldiers back in England.

LBJ Champions the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

45 years ago this month, Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and gender. Learn how President Johnson laid the groundwork for this historic legislation and battled fellow southerners for its passage here.