National Archives News

Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day)

Peesident's Day banner graphis

On the third Monday in February, we honor our first President, George Washington, whose birthday is February 22. We also traditionally honor President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12. Records in the National Archives relate to all our Presidents, and the Presidential Libraries and Museums are a unique resource for the modern Presidents since Herbert Hoover.  

George Washington portrait

Washington’s Birthday was the first federal holiday to honor an individual's birth date. In 1885, Congress designated February 22 as a holiday for all federal workers. Nearly a century later, in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Law changed the date to the third Monday in February. The position of the holiday between the birthdays of Washington and Abraham Lincoln gave rise to the popular name of Presidents Day. Explore selected documents and images from the National Archives Catalog related to Washington’s Birthday.

 

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Valley Forge

Bob Drury has written an inspiring account of Valley Forge, the Continental Army winter camp where George Washington turned the tide of the American Revolution.

The Indian World of George Washington

Colin G. Calloway discusses the relationship between George Washington and Native American leaders of the 18th century.

George Washington and the Paparazzi

This Inside the Vaults video short highlights a letter written by President George Washington to his friend Gov. Henry Lee of Virginia on July 3, 1792, turning down the request of the artist William Williams, who wished to paint the President's portrait. Mount Vernon associate curator Laura Simo explains that Washington was weary of frequently posing for portraits during his Presidency.

First Entrepreneur

Edward G. Lengel chronicles how this self-educated man built the Mount Vernon estate into a vast, multilayered enterprise; prudently managed meager resources to win the Revolutionary War; and as President, helped establish the national economy on a solid footing.

Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural

The film features actor Richard Dreyfuss giving a dramatic reading of the speech, followed by historical analysis. Filmmaker Ken Kebow and author Ronald C. White, Jr.

Why Lincoln Still Matters

On the 207th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, a panel of Lincoln scholars will discuss how Lincoln can still guide and inspire our nation in the face of 21st–century challenges. Panelists include Harold Holzer, Martha Hodges, Craig Symonds, and Lucas Morel.

Lincoln's Gamble: How the Emancipation Proclamation Changed the Course of the Civil War

Todd Brewster examines the most critical six months in Abraham Lincoln's Presidency, when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, fought with his generals, and coped with bouts of depression. a book signing follows the program.

More videos from the National Archives


Historic Scenes Along the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, 1933

National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet General George Washington

National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet Abraham Lincoln

FDR and the Tully Archive

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address 

Eisenhower’s "Military-Industrial Complex" Speech Origins and Significance

Videos from the Presidential Libraries


Favorite Things: What's at Your Presidential Libraries? 

Herbert Hoover Library

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

Harry S. Truman Library

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

John F. Kennedy Library

Lyndon B. Johnson Library

Richard Nixon Library

Ronald Reagan Library

George Bush Library

William J. Clinton Library

Author lectures


First Family: George Washington's Heirs and the Making of America

The Permanent Resident: Excavations and Explorations of George Washington’s Life

George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father

Washington’s End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle

The Great Divide: The Conflict Between Washington and Jefferson That Defined a Nation

An Evening with the Mount Rushmore Presidents

Lincoln and the Fight for Peace

His Greatest Speeches: How Lincoln Moved the Nation

All the Powers of Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln’s White House: The People’s House in Wartime

Wrestling with His Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, 1849–1856

We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and American Jewry, a Documentary History

Most Blessed of the Patriarchs: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination

First Dads: Parenting and Politics from George Washington to Barack Obama

Learn about the Presidential Libraries, which document the lives and administrations of Presidents Herbert Hoover through Barack Obama.

George Washington’s First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789

Pamphlet of President Abraham Lincoln's Speeches

Founders Online contains correspondence and other writings of six Founding Fathers

 

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