Past Events
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December 13 Monday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
American Comics: A History
Jeremy Dauber will discuss the sweeping story of cartoons, comic strips, and graphic novels and their century-long hold on the American imagination.
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December 9 Thursday
Online - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
The Supreme Court and the Peril of Politics
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will discuss his recently published book, and a panel of experts will debate the central argument in his text and other challenges facing the Court. -
Online - 10:00am to 1:00pm
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee Meeting
This virtual meeting is open to the public in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2).
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December 8 Wednesday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery
Bruce. Ragsdale takes a fresh, original look at George Washington as an innovative land manager whose singular passion for farming would unexpectedly lead him to reject slavery.
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December 7 Tuesday
Online - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Online Screening of December 7th
For the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we'll show the 20-minute film "December 7th," which won the 1944 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.
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December 1 Wednesday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Choctaw Confederates: The American Civil War in Indian Country
Author Fay A. Yarbrough reveals that, while sovereignty and states’ rights mattered to the Choctaw Nation’s leaders, the survival of slavery also determined the Nation’s support of the Confederacy.
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November 23 Tuesday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution
H. W. Brands describes the American Revolution in a way that shows it to be more than a fight against the British: it was also a violent battle among neighbors forced to choose sides, Loyalist or Patriot.
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November 20 Saturday
Online - 11:30am to 12:30pm
Celebrate! with Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers
Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers share stories of both their history and modern culture in a virtual performance that culminates with a dance in honor of Native American Heritage Month.
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November 19 Friday
Online - 1:15pm to 1:45pm
The Constitution Rules! For Grades K–2
In this 30-minute 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. -
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
The Black Man’s President
This history of Lincoln’s personal connections with Black people over the course of his career reveals a side of the 16th President that, until now, has not been fully explored or understood. -
Online - 11:15am to 12:00pm
The Constitution and Our Community for Grades 3-5
In this 45-minute program, students will explore the idea of community, hone their primary source analysis skills by examining government records, and connect the Constitution to their own lives.
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November 18 Thursday
Online - 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Saving the Freedom of Information Act
In her new book, Professor Margaret Kwoka examines how use of the Freedom of Information Act has changed since its enactment, creating new processes that have had a deleterious impact on journalists and the media.
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November 17 Wednesday
Online - 10:00am to 12:30pm
Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting
This virtual meeting is open to the public.
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November 16 Tuesday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy
Gayle Jessup White, a Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings’s family, explores America’s racial reckoning through the prism of her ancestors. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed will join the author. -
Online - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Lunch & Learn Special Edition with NASA
Lunchtime virtual presentation with brief audience questions and answers.
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November 15 Monday
Online - 11:00am to 12:00pm
National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet Frederick Douglass
In this Young Learners Program, Phil Darius Wallace portrays Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman.
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November 12 Friday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
A Scottish Blockade Runner in the American Civil War: Joannes Wyllie of the Steamer Ad-Vance
John F. Messner's book describes the Civil War blockade of the South and explores the story of how one British mariner came to command the steamer "Ad-Vance," one of the most successful runners of the war.
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November 10 Wednesday
Online - 11:00am to 12:00pm
Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Jeff Gottesfeld, author of "Twenty-One Steps," and a Tomb guard discuss the significance of the Tomb.
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November 9 Tuesday
Online - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Ike's Book Club - November 2021
We meet the 2nd Tuesday of alternating months at 7 p.m. These discussions are open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you have read the book.
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November 4 Thursday
Online - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
On Eleanor Roosevelt
Allida Black and David Michaelis discuss the life of Eleanor Roosevelt and the role she played in advancing human rights and women’s rights in the mid-20th century. -
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: A Century of Honor
Philip Bigler tells the dramatic story of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, America's most cherished and revered military shrine.
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November 3 Wednesday
Online - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Cokie: A Life Well Lived
In his new book, Steve Roberts pays tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of his wife, legendary journalist Cokie Roberts. -
Online - 11:00am to 12:00pm
Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present
Author Adrienne Keene will share biographies from her young adult book, Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present.
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November 2 Tuesday
Online - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Hollywood Victory: The Movies, Stars, and Stories of World War II
Christian Blauvelt’s book "Hollywood Victory" tells how the film industry enlisted in the Allied effort during the second World War. Presented in partnership with Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
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October 28 Thursday
Online - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Lunch & Learn Series - Atoms for Peace
The monthly Lunch & Learn series is held the 4th Thursday of each month. -
Online - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet Washington Irving
Neill Hartley portrays Washington Irving, sharing Irving’s life and excerpts from his short stories, including "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
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October 27 Wednesday
Online - 1:15pm to 2:00pm
The Constitution and Our Community for Grades 3-5
In this 45-minute program, students will explore the idea of community, hone their primary source analysis skills by examining government records, and connect the Constitution to their own lives. -
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Travels with George
Author Nathaniel Philbrick took to the road to follow George Washington’s Presidential excursions across the newly formed United States of America. -
Online - 11:15am to 11:45am
The Constitution Rules! For Grades K–2
In this 30-minute 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.
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October 22 Friday
Online - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet―And Our Mission to Protect It
NASA astronaut Nicole Stott imparts essential lessons in problem-solving, survival, and crisis response that each of us can practice to make change.
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October 21 Thursday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Slavery and the Constitutional Convention
Using clips from a new documentary series, scholars will discuss the 1787 debates, compromises that led to the protections, and present-day controversies over how we teach the creation of the Constitution.
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October 20 Wednesday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
A Nation of Descendants: Politics and the Practice of Genealogy in U.S. History
Author Francesca Morgan traces Americans’ fascination with tracking family lineage through three centuries and explores how genealogy has always mattered in the United States.
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October 14 Thursday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution
Woody Holton discusses his reassessment of the American Revolution, showing how the Founders were influenced by overlooked Americans—women, Native Americans, African Americans, and religious dissenters.
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October 12 Tuesday
Online - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Evenings at Ease - October 2021
The Evenings at Ease series is held the 2nd Tuesday of alternating months at 7 p.m.
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October 6 Wednesday
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
To Address You as My Friend: African Americans' Letters to Abraham Lincoln
Author Jonathan W. White will discuss a compelling collection of more than 120 letters from African Americans to Lincoln, most of which have never before been published.
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October 4 Monday
Online - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Kennedy Library Forum: Fighting Hunger
José Andrés, chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, and David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, discuss current actions and responses to hunger.
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September 29 Wednesday
Online - 4:00pm to 5:00pm
National History Day in Missouri Webinar Part Two
National History Day in Missouri: Researching with Primary Sources -
Online - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind: Thomas Jefferson’s Idea of a University
In "The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind," author Andrew O’Shaughnessy offers a twin biography of Jefferson in retirement and of the University of Virginia in its earliest years.
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September 28 Tuesday
Online - 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Here Rests in Honored Glory: Records Related to Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown, Pt 2
Part two of a program commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery features textual records in the National Archives.
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September 25 Saturday
Online - 8:00pm to 9:00pm
Virtual Pajama Party Program with Winifred Conkling and Sylvia Mendez
This Virtual Pajama Party for kids aged 8–12 will focus on the book "Sylvia and Aki," a fictional account of the World War II friendship between Sylvia Mendez and Aki Munemitsu.
All events listed in the calendar are free unless noted.