A Phenomenon Called “Roots,” 1977

Today’s blog was written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland From the moment our search room doors opened to the public in late 1936, family history was a big draw for the public. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938, nearly one quarter of the admission cards issued went to "students … Continue reading A Phenomenon Called “Roots,” 1977

Black History Month 2017: Blogs Related to Military

Happy Black History Month! This year the Rediscovering Black History blog at the National Archives would like to highlight select posts from the past. This public blog was created to inform researchers, scholars, students, and anyone interested in records related to African-American history at the National Archives and Presidential Libraries on the vast amount of … Continue reading Black History Month 2017: Blogs Related to Military

Civil War Era Tintypes: Randall Nash, USCT, Inf.

Today’s blog was written by Jesse Wilinski, Archives Technician at the National Archives at Washington, D. C. While working on RG 15 Case Files of Approved Veterans' Pensions Application (Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates), 1861-1934 series, I came across a rare object in a Civil War Pension file. It was a tintype of United … Continue reading Civil War Era Tintypes: Randall Nash, USCT, Inf.

The Chaos of Emancipation

Written by Linda Barnickel, independent archivist and freelance writer It’s easy for us today to think that enslaved people during the Civil War era were held in bondage, and then all of a sudden, were not. Whether they ran away or remained on the plantation until Union troops invaded the area, it’s easy to think … Continue reading The Chaos of Emancipation

“Remember Fort Pillow”: The 150th Anniversary of the Fort Pillow Massacre

Today’s blog is written by Dr. Trichita M. Chestnut, Deputy Director Production Division of Data Processing at the National Declassification Center (NWD) at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland “…the black men who were killed at Fort Pillow...and elsewhere, fighting as gallantly and as bravely as any men under the flag, be their complexion … Continue reading “Remember Fort Pillow”: The 150th Anniversary of the Fort Pillow Massacre

The Significance of Motion Picture Footage Housed at the National Archives and Records Administration Relating to the African American Soldier

Today's blog was written by Donald Roe, Associate Professor of History, Howard University, and former Archivist and Subject Area Expert in the Motion Picture Sound and Video Branch at NARA   The film collection housed at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), consisting of both edited and unedited film footage, is among the largest … Continue reading The Significance of Motion Picture Footage Housed at the National Archives and Records Administration Relating to the African American Soldier