September 2008
Washington, DC, Area Events

Program Highlights

  • Constitution Day
    Laurence Tribe explores The Invisible Constitution, and Michael Meyerson delves into the Federalist Papers. (September 10 , 17)
  • Lincoln and American Values Symposium
    The symposium will provide historical insight into some of the most critically important facets of Lincoln’s Presidency. (September 20)
  • Charles Guggenheim Tribute Program: Robert Kennedy Remembered—40 Years Later
    A screening of Guggenheim’s 1968 film will be followed by panel discussion. (September 24)
  • American Conversation with E. L. Doctorow
    The Archivist welcomes award-winning novelist E. L. Doctorow for an “American Conversation.” (September 25)
  • Noontime Programs
    A discussion of the book Washington: The Making of the American Capital and a screening of National Treasure II. (September 25, 27)
  • Know Your Records Programs
    New monthly genealogy programs begin this month, and other programs explore records held by the National Archives. (September 3, 9, 11, 16, 20, 23, 25)

Exhibit Highlights


Locations, Hours, and Contact Information

All events listed in the calendar are free unless noted; reservations are not required unless noted. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue.

Constitution Day

Laurence Tribe

Wednesday September 17, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
The Invisible Constitution

Many see the United States Constitution as unchanging text, holding no meaning other than that which is clearly visible on the page. In The Invisible Constitution, the newest volume from Oxford’s Inalienable Rights series, legal scholar Laurence Tribe shows there is an “invisible constitution” that accompanies the parchment version. Tribe will discuss how some of our most cherished and widely held beliefs about constitutional rights are not part of the written document but can only be deduced from it. Through a variety of historical episodes and key constitutional cases, he brings to life this invisible constitution. Tribe is Carl M. Loeb University Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. A book signing will follow the program.

Wednesday, September 10, at noon
Jefferson Room
Liberty’s Blueprint

The Federalist Papers are the series of essays that James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wrote to persuade the American people to ratify the Constitution. In Liberty’s Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote the Federalist Papers, Defined the Constitution, and Made Democracy Safe for the World, legal scholar Michael Meyerson describes how the Federalist Papers were written and how they have been interpreted over the centuries. A book signing will follow the program.


Lincoln Symposium

Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
Lincoln and American Values

Registration is required.
The Center for the National Archives Experience celebrates the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with a daylong symposium, Lincoln and American Values. The symposium will provide historical insight into some of the most critically important facets of Lincoln’s Presidency.

Lincoln and American Values is generously supported and presented in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives and endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

9:30–10 a.m.
Welcoming remarks

Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States, Harold Holzer, co-chairman, Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and Lonnie Bunch, director, National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Harold Holzer

10 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Lincoln and the Constitution

Lincoln regarded the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as living in a dynamic harmony with each other. This panel will examine how Lincoln set a pattern that continues to be debated to this day, as the Constitution and the Declaration are often seen to be in conflict with each other. Moderated by Harold Holzer, co-chairman, Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and author of Lincoln at Cooper Union, panelists include Frank J. Williams, co-author of The Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views; Michael Vorenberg, associate professor of history at Brown University and author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment; and Brian Dirck, associate professor of history at Anderson University and author of Lincoln the Lawyer.

Edna Greene Medford

1:30 p.m.–3 p.m.
Lincoln and Emancipation

The Emancipation Proclamation is Lincoln’s most sweeping Presidential act. This panel will discuss the fact that although Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation have been revered as symbols of liberation, understanding the Proclamation has often proven puzzling. Moderated by Michael Vorenberg, panelists include Edna Greene Medford, associate professor of history at Howard University and co-author of The Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views; Frank J. Williams, co-author of The Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views; and James Horton, Benjamin Banneker Professor of American Studies and History at George Washington University and author of Slavery and the Making of America.

Tom Wheeler

3:30 p.m.–5 p.m.
Lincoln’s Legacy as Commander in Chief

As the only President whose entire administration was surrounded by war, Lincoln became one of the most active Commanders in Chief in U.S. history. This panel will discuss Lincoln’s legacy as a wartime President and his leadership of the Civil War. Moderated by Tom Wheeler, author of Mr. Lincoln's T Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War, the panel includes James L. Swanson, author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer; Craig Symonds, author of Lincoln and His Admirals; and David Work, professor of history at Texas A&M University.

The symposium will take place at the National Archives in downtown Washington, DC.

Register by September 8. General Registration Fee: $45; Foundation for the National Archives members: $35; Students/Educators/Seniors: $15. Make checks payable to the National Archives Trust Fund. Send your name, address, e-mail address, and daytime telephone number with a check to:

Lincoln and American Values Symposium
National Archives at College Park
Attn: Katie Wilmes, NWE
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740

To pay by credit card, include card number, expiration date, and cardholder signature. Fax this information to 202-357-5925 or call 202-357-5127. Do not leave credit card information in the message; a staff member will contact you.


Charles Guggenheim Tribute

Wednesday, September 24, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
Second Annual Charles Guggenheim Tribute Program
Robert Kennedy Remembered—40 Years Later

In the aftermath of Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic death (June 6, 1968), filmmaker Charles Guggenheim was commissioned to quickly create a tribute to be shown the following August at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Robert Kennedy Remembered brought convention proceedings to a standstill and won the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Subject.

Following a screening of the 30-minute film, distinguished journalist John Seigenthaler, Sr., who served as administrative assistant to Attorney General Kennedy, will moderate a panel discussion including Jules Witcover, veteran political columnist and author of The Year the Dream Died: Revisiting 1968 in America; Peter Vogt, who was a production assistant on the film, and Robert Wykes, who composed the film’s stirring score.


American Conversation

E. L. Doctorow

Thursday, September 25, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
An American Conversation with E. L. Doctorow

Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein welcomes award-winning novelist E. L. Doctorow for an “American Conversation.” Doctorow’s work depicts various eras and personalities in American history and has been published in 30 languages. His novels include The March, City of God, Welcome to Hard Times, The Book of Daniel, Ragtime, Loon Lake, World’s Fair, Billy Bathgate, and The Waterworks. He currently holds the Lewis and Loretta Glucksman Chair of English and American Letters at New York University.

More about the American Conversations series

 



Noontime Programs

Thursday, September 25, at noon
Jefferson Room
Washington: The Making of the American Capital

In Washington: The Making of the American Capital, Fergus M. Bordewich delves into the history of the early days of Washington, DC, including the hidden and somewhat unsavory side of the city’s beginnings, and describes a story of triumph over a multitude of political and financial obstacles. A book signing will follow the program.

Saturday, September 27, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
National Treasure II: Book of Secrets

Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates is back and looking for the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He finds John Wilkes Booth's diary and is determined to uncover the mystery within its 18 missing pages. Stars Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger. Rated PG. (2007, 118 minutes) Presented in conjunction with Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day.


Hollinger Box icon Know Your Records Programs: September

Tuesday, September 9, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Tips & Strategies on the Updated Archival Research Catalog (ARC)

Members of the ARC team will show researchers how to find records in the National Archives’ updated online Archival Research Catalog (ARC). (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, September 11, at 11 a.m.).

Tuesday, September 16, at 11 a.m. and noon
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
From the Records Book Group and Lecture

Following a lecture by Jennifer Davis Heaps on illustrated family records such as needlework samplers and frakturs, the From the Records Book Group will discuss The Revolution Remembered: Eyewitness Accounts of the War for Independence, edited by John C. Dann. This is a fascinating look at 79 eyewitness accounts from the Revolutionary War pension files held at the National Archives. Please check the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a special discount for book group participants. The October book selection will be Spying on the Bomb: American Nuclear Intelligence From Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea, by Jeffrey T. Richelson.

Introducing NEW genealogy programs one Wednesday and one Saturday a month (held at the National Archives Building; enter on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the building.)

Wednesday, September 3 at 11:00 a.m., and Saturday, September 20, at 10 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy

Staff archivists will present the first of these monthly lectures on basic genealogical research and techniques.

Saturday, September 20, noon–4 p.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
“Help! I'm Stuck”

Not sure where to begin your research? Is there a genealogical or historical problem that has stumped you? Would you like to explore new directions in your research? One Saturday a month, an archivist with extensive experience in genealogy and the records of the National Archives will be available from noon to 4 p.m. to answer questions. Look for the sign at the Research Center desk reading, “Help! I'm Stuck.”

The next monthly Introduction to Genealogy lecture and help from an archivist with extensive genealogy experience will be on Saturday, October 25.

Tuesday, September 23, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act

Ramona Branch Oliver will discuss provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act and how the statutes impact public access to both archival and operational records at the National Archives. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, September 25, at 11 a.m.).



Boeing Learning Center

An exciting space designed to provide parents and educators of all levels with methods and materials for teaching with primary source documents. Open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The ReSource Room is open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Exhibits

Permanent Exhibits

Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom:The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are on permanent display in the Rotunda. "A New World Is at Hand" surrounds the Rotunda's centerpiece cases. Presenting a selection of milestone documents, the exhibit chronicles the creation of the Charters of Freedom in the 18th century and their impact on the course of history in the United States and around the world.

The Public Vaults: This interactive exhibit invites visitors into the stacks and vaults of the National Archives to explore the raw material from which history is made. From Washington's letters, Lincoln's telegrams, and FDR's fireside chats to UFO reports and declassified secrets of World War II, these documents chronicle both great national events and the lives of individual Americans.

Magna Carta: This foundation document of English common law was confirmed by Edward I in 1297. Only four originals of the 1297 Magna Carta remain, and only one permanently resides in the United States. Purchased by David M. Rubenstein in 2007, it is on loan to the National Archives. West Rotunda Gallery.



Special Featured Document Display in Washington, DC

The Treaty of Paris, the original treaty signed in 1783 by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, will be on display to mark the 225th anniversary of the official ending of the American Revolutionary War. This treaty will form the centerpiece of an upcoming exhibition, “1783: Subject or Citizen?” opening in October. East Rotunda Gallery, August 29 through September 3.


Special Exhibit in College Park, Maryland

Auditorium Lobby at the National Archives Research Center:

"The Long View" features digitally produced facsimiles of historic panoramic photographs from the Still Picture holdings.

Motorcycle Corps, Army Motor Service - Under Command of J. S. Berryman. US Capitol. Wash., DC. Jan. 26, 1919, By R. S. Clements. Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs (165-PP-60-47)

The exhibit not only showcases the wide variety of panoramic techniques, but also includes National Archives records such as cartographic maps and patent drawings that relate to the photographs. Thirty-four panoramas and other records are on display and span the period from 1864 to 1997.
See more panoramas online.


Traveling Exhibits

The traveling exhibit program makes it possible for people across the country to experience selected historical documents and artifacts that reflect our national experience.


child with coal dust on face
Spring 2009 slot available. Interested museums may contact nationalarchivesexhibitstaff@nara.gov for more information.

Eyewitness:  American Originals from the National Archives

Drawing on rarely displayed documents, audio recordings, and film footage culled from the extensive holdings of the National Archives and its Presidential libraries, "Eyewitness" features first-person accounts of watershed moments in history.
Online exhibit

Tour itinerary:

October 2008–January 2009 (tentative)

Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, NE


Online Exhibits

Dozens of exhibits can be experienced online. Visit Now!

Locations, Hours, and Contact Information

The National Archives Experience
Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC

For details, see the Visitor's Map or visit the National Archives Experience.

Exhibit Hours:

  • Daily, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
  • Last admission is 30 minutes prior to closing.

Open every day except Thanksgiving and December 25.

Admission free.

All events listed in the calendar are free unless noted; reservations are not required unless noted. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue.

For details, see the Visitor's Map or visit the National Archives Experience.

For reservations or to be placed on the mailing list, call 202-357-5000 or e-mail public.program@nara.gov.


The National Archives Research Center
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC and 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD.

Research Hours have recently changed.
Check the Washington, DC and College Park location information for details.

Call 202-357-5450 for a docent-led guided tour.

wheelchair iconTDD: 301-837-0482. The National Archives is fully accessible. To request an accommodation (such as a sign language interpreter) for a public program, please call 202-357-5000 or e-mail public.program@nara.gov at least two weeks prior to the event.


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