A Nod to Our Digital Past
Four years ago this month, the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., and Archives facilities across the country—along with the rest of the nation—closed indefinitely due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following week, the Foundation launched this weekly newsletter (and an accompanying one titled “History Snacks” for kids and families) to stay in touch. We sought to be a friendly voice during unfamiliar times and to find a new way to share the vast holdings and stories of the National Archives with you.
Just over 200 editions later, here we are. We like to look back at our past, but the Foundation and the National Archives are looking forward to the next two years. We have much planned as we prepare for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This newsletter, our social media, and our website are the spots you want to keep an eye on for “the big reveal” as we roll out the news over the coming months.
As they say, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. This was a journey that we could not have predicted, but we are grateful for your readership and support, then and now.
Keep reading, clicking, following, liking, viewing, and donating!
Patrick M. Madden
Executive Director
National Archives Foundation
P.S We’ve listed a few of our favorite newsletters from the past four years below. Enjoy!
Red-handed Records
Are you a true crime devotee? Popular podcasts and shows dissect the minutiae of criminal cases digging through the details for a “smoking gun.” Usually, it’s documents. We dove into the archives to share some of the most notorious arrest records and dark secrets behind a wellness cult gone bad. There’s nothing scarier than the truth.
Parks and Recreation
While you’ll have to wait until November 2024 for the series finale of Yellowstone, we honored the 100th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park with an exploration of the history of national parks and the birth of Yellowstone as protected land.
Myth Busted
Did President William Howard Taft actually have a bathtub fiasco, or was that just a legend? We explored some of American history’s myths and misconceptions.
What I Didn’t Know
History is not static. Historians and researchers continue to review, discover, and interpret our nation’s past. On the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, we described one of the worst tragedies in American history—a story that was new to most people in our country at the time.
The Origin Story
It’s hard to believe the National Archives building isn’t even a century old yet. We covered its history from conception to construction, honoring the site that has become an iconic presence on the National Mall.
