January 2009
Washington, DC, Area Events

Please Note-All Research Rooms will be closed January 19, Research Rooms in the DC-area closed on January 20. All National Archives research rooms will be closed on January 19 for the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Washington, DC-area research rooms will be closed on January 20 for the President's Inauguration. The National Archives museum in Washington will be open on both days.

Program Highlights

Definitive Treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain, September 3, 1783 [signature page]
General Records of the United States Government
[ARC ID 299805]

  • Treaty of Paris
    In celebration of our new exhibit, “1783: Subject or Citizen?,” we present programs commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris. (January 10, 22)
  • Presidential Transitions
    The National Archives celebrates the peaceful transfer of political power that occurs in our country every four years. (January13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23)
  • American Conversation with John J. Sweeney
    The January 13 event has been cancelled.
  • Lincoln Bicentennial
    The National Archives presents a film and lecture series in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. (January 17, 22)
  • Alaska Statehood
    In honor of the anniversary of the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s statehood, we examine the northern lights through NASA’s THEMIS project. (January 29)
  • Know Your Records Programs
    A variety of programs explore records held by the National Archives. (January 6, 7, 21, 22, 24, 27, 29)

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. For McGowan Theater programs, the doors to the building will open 30 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue.

1783: Subject or Citizen?

The year 2008 marked the 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution and reshaped modern North America. In celebration of our “1783: Subject or Citizen?” exhibit, we present programs commemorating this historic event.

Thursday, January 22, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
The Black Loyalists and Their Flight to Freedom

During the American Revolution, thousands of slaves fled their masters seeking freedom with the British. After the Treaty of Paris in 1783, more than 3,000 departed with the British Army, most of whom were transported to Nova Scotia. During the War of 1812, thousands more black refugees from the United States rebelled against their owners and attempted to reach the British military encampments. What were their experiences, and what were the far-reaching effects of their exodus? Edna Greene Medford, associate professor of history, Howard University, moderates a discussion on this topic with a distinguished panel including James W. St. G. Walker, professor of history, University of Waterloo; Harvey Amani Whitfield, associate professor of history, University of Vermont; and Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie, assistant professor of history, Howard University.

Saturday, January 10, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Treaty of Paris Film Series

This film series features Hollywood’s depiction of the events leading up to and during the Revolutionary War and the postwar westward expansion enabled by the Treaty of Paris.
The Far Horizons
Following the United States’ acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from the French, Meriwether Lewis (Fred MacMurray), William Clark (Charlton Heston), and their Native American guide Sacagawea (Donna Reed) set out to find a waterway that would connect St. Louis and the Pacific Ocean. Directed by Rudolph Maté. (107 minutes, 1955)


Presidential Transitions

The National Archives Experience is pleased to present programs on Presidential transitions in celebration of the peaceful transfer of political power that occurs in our country every four years.

January 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
From the Vaults: Presidential Inaugurations

In celebration of the 2009 Presidential inauguration, the Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film presents a selection of archival film and video related to the ceremonial inaugural events that occur every four years. Drawn from the holdings of the National Archives’ Presidential Libraries, the programs will feature historical footage of Presidents Herbert Hoover through William Clinton.

Schedule (subject to change)

Tuesday, January 13, at noon
Herbert Hoover Inaugurated, 1929
Excerpt from The Open Mind: March 4th, 1933—FDR’s First Inaugural
President Truman’s Inauguration, 1948
Total Running Time: 80 minutes

Wednesday, January 14, at noon
Inauguration 1953 (Dwight Eisenhower)
CBS Coverage of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural, 1961
Total Running Time: 90 minutes

Thursday, January 15, at noon
Inauguration of the President and Vice President of the United States, 1965 (Lyndon B. Johnson)
The Inaugural Story 1969 (Richard Nixon)
Total Running Time: 90 minutes

Friday, January 16, at noon
Swearing-In of Gerald R. Ford as President, August 9, 1974
Inaugural Events, 1977 (Jimmy Carter)
President Reagan’s Inaugural Ceremony, 1981
Total Running Time: 120 minutes

Monday, January 19, at noon
Inauguration of George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989
William Jefferson Clinton Inaugural Ceremony, 1993
Total Running Time: 120 minutes

The White House. (Courtesy of the White House Historical Association)

Thursday, January 15, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
The White House: Moving Out/Moving In

How does a first family prepare to move into the White House? How does a President-elect plan to govern from day one—and through his first 100 days? What role does the outgoing President play in assisting the newcomers, and where do his official papers go? More than ever, the need for an organized transition is critical. A panel of scholars and former White House staff will discuss keys to a successful White House transition. Panelists include Ann Stock, social secretary, Clinton administration; Gary Walters, White House chief usher, 1986–2007; Sharon Fawcett, Assistant Archivist for Presidential Libraries, National Archives; Martha Joynt Kumar, Towson University; Roger Porter, Harvard University and economic adviser to Ford, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush; John Burke, University of Vermont; and Terry Sullivan, UNC-Chapel Hill and Presidential Transition Project, The James A. Baker Institute. Presented in partnership with the White House Historical Association.

Lincoln’s second inaugural, 1865. (National Archives)

Friday, January 23, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
To Serve the President: Continuity and Innovation in the White House Staff

To most Americans, the White House staff and its works are largely unknown. A few senior staff members are in the public eye, but the vast majority of staffers do their indispensable work completely behind the scenes. Join us today as author and former White House staff member Bradley H. Patterson discusses his book To Serve the President and offers an insightful look at how the 135 offices of the White House staff support the President of the United States and help to shape and focus Presidential power.

Please note: On January 20 beginning at 11:30 a.m., the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony and parade will be shown live in the William G. McGowan Theater.


American Conversation

CANCELLED

John Sweeney

Tuesday, January 13, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
An American Conversation with John Sweeney

John J. Sweeney will join Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein for an “American Conversation” to explore the role of the labor movement throughout American history. Mr. Sweeney has been president of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations) since 1995. He is the author of America Needs A Raise: Fighting for Economic Security and Social Justice.

Read more about the American Conversations series.


Lincoln Bicentennial

The National Archives Experience is pleased to present this film and lecture series in celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

Saturday, January 17, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Abraham Lincoln

Director D. W. Griffith presents a biography of Abraham Lincoln through vignettes about his life, including his birth, early jobs, courtship of Mary Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, his Presidency, and the Civil War. Walter Huston stars as Lincoln. (96 minutes, 1930)

Thursday, January 22, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln are the two preeminent self-made men in American history. Lincoln was born poor, had less than one year of formal school, and became one of the nation’s greatest Presidents. Douglass spent the first 20 years of his life as a slave, had no formal schooling, and became the most famous black man in the Western world and one of the nation’s greatest writers. John Stauffer, author of Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, discusses how Douglass and Lincoln reinvented themselves and transformed America.


50th Anniversary of Alaska Statehood

Thursday, January 29, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
NASA’s THEMIS Project

When viewed from Alaska and other northern locations, the aurora borealis, or “northern lights” is a shimmering, ethereal phenomenon that dances in a spectacular burst of colorful light and rapid movement. But what causes it? To find out, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched a fleet of satellites and established a network of 20 ground observatories in Canada and Alaska called THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms). Discovering what causes auroras to change will provide scientists with important details on how the planet’s magnetosphere works and the important Sun-Earth connection. Today, Dr. John Sigwarth, a NASA astrophysicist, will present an illustrated lecture on the THEMIS project, and how the data collected is being used to resolve one of the oldest mysteries of space physics.


Hollinger Box icon Know Your Records Programs:  January

CANCELLED Tuesday, January 6, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Civil War Pension Files at Footnote.com

Beau Sharbrough from Footnote.com will discuss the Civil War pension files recently scanned and published online through the partnership between the National Archives, Family Search, and Footnote.com. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in the auditorium on Wednesday, January 7, at 11 a.m.)

Wednesday, January 7, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy

Archives staff will present a lecture on basic genealogical research in Federal records. This lecture occurs on the first Wednesday of the month and selected Saturdays. The next weekday lecture will take place on Wednesday, February 4.

Wednesday, January 21, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Digital Vaults

Suzanne Isaacs will present features in the National Archives “Digital Vaults” exhibit. With a database of some 1,200 documents, photographs, drawings, maps, and other materials and a keywording system that visually links records, the Digital Vaults enables visitors to customize their exhibit experience and to create posters, movies, and games that can be shared by e-mail. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in the auditorium on Thursday, January 22, at 11 a.m.)

Saturday, January 24, at 10 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy

Archives staff will present a lecture on basic genealogical research in Federal records. This lecture occurs on selected Saturdays and the first Wednesday of the month. The next weekend lecture will take place on Saturday, February 21.

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

On selected Saturday afternoons, an archivist with extensive experience in genealogy and the records of the National Archives will be available to assist with your research questions. Please sign up for a 20-minute appointment at the Research Center. The next opportunity will be on Saturday, February 21.

Tuesday, January 27, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Ramona Branch Oliver will discuss provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and how the statutes affect 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 the auditorium on Thursday, January 29, 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.



Definitive Treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain, September 3, 1783 [signature page]
General Records of the United States Government
[ARC ID 299805]

Special Exhibit in Washington, DC

1783: Subject or Citizen? For the 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, the National Archives and Library and Archives Canada jointly created this exhibit, which reveals the untold story of the treaty and its effect on everyday lives and features valuable archival treasures from the vaults of both institutions, including the rarely seen American copy of the 1783 treaty. Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery
Closing January 25, 2009.

A related exhibit, “Champlain's Dream,” with Samuel de Champlain’s notebooks and artifacts from the John Carter Brown Library, is at the Embassy of Canada Gallery, October 16–December 30. Champlain's Dream, a book by David Hackett Fischer, was published in October 2008 in the U.S. and Canada.

 

 

 

 


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 4, 2008–January 4, 2009

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.–5:30 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. For McGowan Theater programs, the doors to the building will open 30 minutes prior to the start of the program. 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 for both locations:

  • Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

  • Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Check the Washington, DC and College Park, MD location information for records pull times and other important 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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