Ward standing, in military uniform

The Trials and Triumphs of Dr. Joseph H. Ward

Today's post was written by David R. Hardin, archivist at the National Archives at St. Louis Veteran's Administration Hospital, Tuskegee, AL (NAID 102252457) On February 12th, 1923, Veteran’s Hospital #91 opened in Tuskegee, Alabama. Initially the hospital’s focus was treating service-related respiratory and mental health issues of African American veterans. However, the hospital would grow … Continue reading The Trials and Triumphs of Dr. Joseph H. Ward

Black History Month 2017: Blogs Related to the Panama Canal

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 the Panama Canal

Accidents, Injuries and Deaths in the Canal Zone, 1884–1999

Written by Patrice Brown, Archivist (Special Assistant) in the Evaluation and Special Projects Division, National Declassification Center at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland This is the second in a series of blogs that relates to Panama Canal records. This blog focuses on death records and how the records can be used to perform … Continue reading Accidents, Injuries and Deaths in the Canal Zone, 1884–1999

Part I: How to use Panama Canal Personnel Records at the National Archives: My Grandfather worked on the Panama Canal

Today's blog was written by Patrice Brown, Archivist (Special Assistant) in the Evaluation and Special Projects Division, National Declassification Center at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland There has been increased interest in the employees of the Panama Canal since I posted several blogs in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the construction of … Continue reading Part I: How to use Panama Canal Personnel Records at the National Archives: My Grandfather worked on the Panama Canal

A Callin’ from Colón: Photographs of Black Employees Working on the Panama Canal

Today's blog was written by Barbara Lewis Burger,  retired National Archives Still Picture Senior Archivist  We hea’ a callin’ from Colon We hea’ a callin’ from Limon Let’s quit de t’ankless toil an’ fret Fe where the better pay we’ll get ~Claude McKay, Peasants’ Way O’ Thinkin’ According to La Autoridad del Canal de Panamá … Continue reading A Callin’ from Colón: Photographs of Black Employees Working on the Panama Canal

All We Demand is Justice: Caribbean Union Leaders on the Canal Zone

Today’s blog was written by Sonia A. Prescott, Doctoral Student in History at the University of Maryland, College Park. Scholarship on the Panama Canal has steadily evolved from focusing solely on the United States and its triumph over the land to a more nuanced look at the plight of the everyday people involved in the … Continue reading All We Demand is Justice: Caribbean Union Leaders on the Canal Zone

Panama Canal Employees: Service Record Cards (Part 2)

Today’s Blog Post was written by Patrice Brown, Archivist (Special Assistant) in the Evaluation and Special Projects Division, National Declassification Center at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. The first blog on Service Record Cards, 1904-1920 (National Archives Identifier 7226556) revealed the contributions service women made to the Panama Canal. The following selected cards document the service … Continue reading Panama Canal Employees: Service Record Cards (Part 2)

Panama Canal Employees: Service Record Cards (Part 1)

Today's Blog Post is written by Patrice Brown, Archivist (Special Assistant) in the Evaluation and Special Projects Division, National Declassification Center at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. In 2014, the Panama Canal will celebrate its 100th anniversary.  There are many records in the custody of the National Archives that document the well known story of … Continue reading Panama Canal Employees: Service Record Cards (Part 1)