The National Archives, in collaboration with the Government Printing Office, publishes the Federal Register, a daily compilation of notices of public meetings, legislative hearings, grant and funding opportunities, and announcements of public interest. In addition, it publishes proposed regulations and provides information about how to comment on these proposals—a very manual process. On its 75th … Continue reading Happy Anniversary, Federal Register 2.0!
This is the birthday of Waldo Gifford Leland, born this day in 1879 in Newton, Massachusetts. He was a historian with careers at the Carnegie Institution and the Library of Congress, and played an important role in the creation of the National Archives. Leland’s portrait hangs among those of the previous Archivists of the United … Continue reading Happy Birthday Waldo!
In 1776 when John Adams was envisioning future celebrations of the Declaration of Independence he said: “It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End … Continue reading Happy Fourth of July!
On the last day of June of 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stood at the entrance to his library in Hyde Park, New York—the first of the Presidential Libraries—and dedicated it to the American people with these words: “It seems to me that the dedication of a library is in itself an act of faith. To … Continue reading A New Deal for a New Generation
Yesterday the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences released their report—The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, and Secure Nation. The report is the response to a bipartisan request from members of Congress: “What are the top actions that Congress, state governments, … Continue reading The Heart of the Matter
Just before Memorial Day, Eva Wall, a third grader at the Fiske School in Wellesley, Massachusetts wrote to tell me that her class was working on a Flat Stanley project. If you are not familiar with Jeff Brown’s 1964 children’s classic, illustrated by Tomi Ungerer, check it out. Eva sent me a hand colored flat … Continue reading Flat Stanley’s Magical Visit to Washington
This afternoon, the National Archives launched Founders Online—a tool for seamless searching across the Papers of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Our National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) has been funding these projects in paper for some time. Working with Rotunda at the University of Virginia … Continue reading Founders Online
When Charles Lindbergh landed at LeBourget Field outside of Paris on the 21st of May 1927, among his first words- "Is there any news of Nungesser and Coli?" On the 8th of May, French aviators Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli took off from LeBourget in their plane, The White Bird, in an attempt to be … Continue reading Aiding in the Search for The White Bird
Cass Sunstein, former Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, in his new book, Simpler, shares the three most important things he learned during his time in the White House. "People stop making some important mistakes when they speak in a foreign language." Citing the example of cost-benefit analysis as a foreign language, … Continue reading Simplification
On the 15th of June in 1859, Lyman Cutlar, an American recently settled on San Juan Island, shot a pig which " ... having been at several times a great annoyance and that morning destroyed a portion of his garden ... " Affidavit of Lyman A. Cutlar Regarding Pig Shooting, September 7, 1859 (click on image to view … Continue reading Round Two of US-Canadian Rivalry
