There is a lot of “pitching” that goes on at the NHPRC each summer. But alas, I am not referring to baseball. Summer is a particularly valuable time for us to describe our grants programs to potential applicants. What’s the same and what’s new? What does it take for an application to be really competitive? … Continue reading The Art of Pitching
I noticed recently that my doctor’s practice has gone entirely electronic. There were gaps in the records of course, but I was pretty impressed at how complete the system was. And it got me to thinking about the history of electronic records in archives. I had the privilege of working for the National Archives custodial … Continue reading Electronic Records: where we started and where we are going
Fireworks, ice-cold watermelon, and cookouts provided the makings of a perfect July 4 holiday for many Americans this last weekend, but readers of documents on Founders Online can learn that some early patriots celebrated independence in a much more rambunctious way. In fact most Americans did not learn about the Second Continental Congress’ actions until … Continue reading Three Huzzas from the Troops
It’s July 2!! Happy Independence Day!! Many of us grew up with the impression that the Founding Fathers declared independence from Britain when they approved and signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is now more widely known that the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, actually declared independence on July 2. John … Continue reading Declaring Our Independence
From the very first year of NHPRC funding, the Commission has embraced new technologies to increase public access to historical records. In the beginning, the strategy was to fund both historical documentary editions in print publications and the microfilming of collections of historical records. Microfilm editions were effective ways for editors to assemble records from … Continue reading The rise of digital historical resources
Source: Duke University Nearly everyone has probably experienced that moment when you are out to dinner when a question comes up and no one knows the answer, so someone whips out a smart phone and looks up the answers on the web. The explosion of information and resources has changed our lives. And it is … Continue reading How Do We Bring the Past to the Learners of Tomorrow?
On June 17, 1963, President John Kennedy hosted a luncheon at the White House for the editors and sponsors of the historical documentary editions of the papers of the Founders and other leading figures in American history. At the luncheon, he endorsed the idea of funding for the National Historical Publications Commission (as the NHPRC … Continue reading JFK on the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Tomorrow marks the first birthday of the online tool, Founders Online – www.founders.archives.gov. This resource contains over 150,000 transcribed letters and other writings of six Founders of the nation – George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. The transcribed documents are all in one place, fully searchable, and freely … Continue reading Founders Online: Looking Forward, with your help
A week after the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower sent the following message on June 13 to the Troops of the Allied Expeditionary Forces after touring the Normandy beachhead: "One week ago this morning there was established through your coordinated efforts, our first foot-hold in Northwestern Europe. High as was my … Continue reading Ike’s Thank You
The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh received an NHPRC grant to support a two-year project to process 13 collections that document business and industries in western Pennsylvania, 1844-2002. The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania was established in 1879 and began doing business as the Senator John Heinz History Center (HHC) in 1996. HHC … Continue reading Pickles and Steel!
