National History Day 2011!

It’s the middle of the school year, and already students and teachers are beginning to do research for their National History Day projects.  This year the theme is “Debate & Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, Consequences.” One of the great things about NHD is that these projects encourage middle and high school students to use primary sources … Continue reading National History Day 2011!

Primary Sources Rock.

Today's post comes from guest blogger Stephanie Greenhut, Education Technology Specialist with the Center for the National Archives Experience. We know! And we were happy to hear that NARA’s new DocsTeach.org prompted this tweet on October 4. It was part of the almost-immediate-feedback we received after launching the site. Additional blogs, tweets, social bookmarks, social … Continue reading Primary Sources Rock.

Tech Tuesday: NARA @ NITRD

This week's Tech Tuesday post comes from NCAST blogger, Mark Conrad. Who wouldn’t want to sit at the table where important decisions are made?  Who would turn down an invitation from the White House? Who would turn down an opportunity to leverage billions of dollars of other agencies’ Research and Development (R&D) funds? Not NCAST, … Continue reading Tech Tuesday: NARA @ NITRD

NARA Coast to Coast: Emigration Records at the National Archives at Philadelphia, Part 1

There have been numerous posts on the NARAtions blog about people who have immigrated to the United States and how to locate their records, but what if you have ancestors who emigrated from the United States? In this two part series, we’ll look at two unique series of records from the National Archives at Philadelphia … Continue reading NARA Coast to Coast: Emigration Records at the National Archives at Philadelphia, Part 1

See History in Your Reality: A New Flickr Photo Project!

The National Archives introduces an exciting new way to use our historic photograph collections!  History Happens Here! augments reality and combines the old with the new in the same frame, giving the viewer a unique perspective on how our country has evolved over time. For those of us who are familiar with the latest in … Continue reading See History in Your Reality: A New Flickr Photo Project!

NARA Coast to Coast: Discovering Black Sheep in the Pen!

Special acknowledgment goes to Steve Spence, Archives Specialist at the National Archives at Kansas City, for his assistance in writing this post. Bank robbers! Prohibition gangsters! Con men! Wartime spies! Your great uncle Charlie?  This week’s post features records that combine criminal activity and family history, giving genealogists access to the shady underside of their … Continue reading NARA Coast to Coast: Discovering Black Sheep in the Pen!

Question: Have you (or one of your students) used National Archives' records in a National History Day project?

Students and Teachers: Have you (or one of your students) used National Archives' records in a National History Day (NHD) project? What were the records, and how did they shape what you thought about your topic? In order to help students and teachers find historical materials relevant to their research, we post a list of … Continue reading Question: Have you (or one of your students) used National Archives' records in a National History Day project?

Free NARA Documents on Footnote.com

Are you looking for documents by the Continental Congress, court records related to the Amistad, details on the assassination of President Lincoln, or FBI investigative case files from World War I?  You now have ready access to documents like these, which capture important American ideals and events that have shaped our country.  More than 20 … Continue reading Free NARA Documents on Footnote.com

Question: What are your favorite biographical resources, online or in print?

What are your favorite sources for looking up biographies? Do you have a favorite site online, or do you swear by a particular print source? We're in the very early stages of planning a wiki for the National Archives and have recently been considering including a biography section on the site. Our tentative plan is … Continue reading Question: What are your favorite biographical resources, online or in print?