2014 Press Releases

The National Archives Presents Special Noontime Programs in March
Press Release · Thursday, February 27, 2014

Washington, DC

The National Archives presents a series of noontime public programs in March. These book talks are free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW. Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics
Friday, March 7
Tammany Hall, New York’s famous political machine, has been considered the worst of urban politics: graft, crime, and patronage personified by characters like William "Boss" Tweed. Historian and New York City journalist Terry Golway dismantles these stereotypes; Tammany's corruption was real, but so was its forgotten role in protecting the poor and immigrants and laying the groundwork for social reform. A book signing will follow the program.

JFK in the Senate: Pathway to the Presidency
Wednesday, March 12
Before John F. Kennedy became a legendary young President, he was the junior Senator from Massachusetts, where his Presidential ambitions were first realized. Author John Shaw looks at how the young Senator catapulted himself onto the national stage and provides new insight into an underappreciated aspect of his political career. A book signing follows the program.

George Washington’s Surprise Attack: A New Look at the Battle that Decided the Fate of America
Tuesday, March 18
Phillip Thomas Tucker takes an in-depth look at the Battle of Trenton in George Washington’s Surprise Attack. Using firsthand accounts from officers and soldiers on both sides, he brings to life the Continental Army’s desperate circumstances and improbable success. A book signing will follow the program.

The Power of Citizenship: Why John F. Kennedy Matters to a New Generation
Friday, March 21
Scott Reich argues in The Power of Citizenship that the most powerful element of Kennedy’s legacy is his emphasis on citizenship, and that a redirection to the values Kennedy promoted will shine a bright path forward for our country. A book signing will follow the program.

FILM: The City and Men and Dust
Thursday, March 27
Produced for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, The City (33 minutes) is a call to rebuild America’s cities in the form of planned communities. Featuring a music score by Aaron Copland, and based on an original story outline by American documentary pioneer Pare Lorentz, The City describes the changes from the American village of the early 1800s to the industrialized cities of 100 years later. Man and Dust (1940; 16 minutes) is an experimental film that dramatizes the living conditions in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas which contributed to a high rate of respiratory illness among lead and zinc miners of the area. The film was recently selected by the Library of Congress to the 2013 National Film Registry. This screening is presented in partnership with the 2014 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

Exhibit Opening: "Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures"
March 21, 2014, through January 5, 2015, Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery
"Making Their Mark: Stories through Signatures" displays both famous and little-known signatures found in the holdings of the National Archives. Discover the invention Michael Jackson patented; see "signature" items worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, and First Lady Michelle Obama; and discover what prompted Katharine Hepburn, Johnny Cash, and Jackie Robinson to write to the government. "Making Their Mark" explores the stores behind the signatures that made their mark on the American narrative.

New permanent "Records of Rights" Exhibit
The new permanent exhibit at the National Archives, "Records of Rights," uses original documents, photographs, facsimiles, videos, and interactive exhibits to explore how Americans have worked to realize the ideals of freedom enshrined in our nation’s founding documents and how they have debated issues such as citizenship, free speech, voting rights, and equal opportunity. Exploring many stories—and showcasing the drive for civil rights for African Americans, women, and immigrants–the new exhibition chronicles the past and current generations whose efforts to secure equality under the law have shaped the country we live in today.

The National Archives is fully accessible, and Assisted Listening Devices are available in the McGowan Theater upon request. To request a sign language interpreter for a public program, please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event. To verify dates and times of the programs, call 202-357-5000 or view the Calendar of Events online. To contact the National Archives, call 1-866-272-6272 or 1-86-NARA-NARA (TDD 301-837-0482).

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For press information contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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