U.S. National Archives

The nation's record keeper. Visit: https://visit.archives.gov. Comment Policy: https://go.usa.gov/xpnDG

[usnatarchives]

Congress has restored funding of appropriated activities. The National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, the National Archives at College Park, MD, and facilities nationwide, including Presidential Libraries, will open to the public as soon as possible. Please check archives.gov for updates.

[usnatarchives]

We’re sorry, but we will not be able to post updates to our social media channels during the government shutdown. All National Archives events– virtual or in person– are canceled until further notice. We will be unable to reply to messages or emails until the government reopens.

[usnatarchives]

Congress has restored funding of appropriated activities. The National Archives Building in Washington, DC, the National Archives at College Park, MD, and facilities nationwide, including Presidential Libraries, will open to the public as soon as possible. Please check archives.gov for updates.

[usnatarchives]

We’re sorry, but we will not be able to post updates to our social media channels during the government shutdown. All National Archives events–virtual or in person–are canceled until further notice. We will be unable to reply to messages or emails until the government reopens.

[usnatarchives]

National Inventors Month 🔌💡🥽

The National Archives holds numerous patent records in our Catalog—documents that showcase American creativity and ingenuity. Let's dive into some fascinating inventions together! 💡

⚓ Kicking off #NationalInventorsMonth with a 19th-century innovation!

Check out H.P. Griswold’s "Submarine and Torpedo Boat" patent drawing, a bold vision for naval technology.

Explore: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7451873

🐷 From underwater to the barnyard, next up is a patent for a pig muzzle invented by Fred Eiffert. Inventors dreamed big (and small) in the 1800s.

See the full document: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/594413

💨 Imagine staying cool before electricity was common! This 1830 invention by James Barron shows a fan moved by mechanical gears, an early step toward modern cooling.

Check it out: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/drawing-of-fan-moved-by-mechanism

🚗 Dreams of driving? H.W. Libbey patented an "Automobile Vehicle" in 1899, part of the era's rush to design new forms of transportation. Libbey was also known for his work on early electric-powered designs! ⚡🔌

Explore the design: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7369159

🎒🏕️ Last but not least: a true multitasker!

An improved knapsack, litter, and tent combined—perfect for soldiers on the move.

See the invention: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/drawing-of-improved-knapsack-litter-and-tent-combined

This May, we’re celebrating the creativity and determination behind America’s inventions.

Explore even more historic patents and designs preserved by the National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/research/patents

[todaysdocument]

President Richard Nixon, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, and Fred MacMurray at Lakeside Golf Course in Los Angeles (Toluca Lake), CA, 1/3/1970.

Series: Nixon White House Photographs, 1/20/1969 - 8/9/1974. Collection: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration), 1/20/1969 - 8/9/1974.

[todaysdocument]

Liquor Prohibition Ordinance 1900, Ordert No. 3 , An Ordinance to prohibit the supply of Intoxicating Liquors to Natives.

Record Group 284: Records of the Government of American SamoaSeries: Laws and CodesFile Unit: "Laws and Regulations, 1900; 1901"

UNITED STATES NAVAL STATION, TUTUILA.

LIQUOR PROHIBITION ORDINACE 1900.

COMMANDER B.F. TILLEY, U.S.N., COMMANDANT.

No 3. PAGOPAGO. April 28th, 1900.

An Ordinance to prohibit the supply of Intoxication Liquors to Natives.

SHORT TITLE.

1.--The Short title of this Ordinance may be "The Liquor Prohibition Ordinance, 1900."

INTERPRETATION.

2.--n this ordinance the term "natives" shall in its reference mean not merely abori-

ginal natives of Samoa but aboriginal natives of India or of Fiji or of German-Samoa or of

any island in the Pacific Ocean, or any person born of a foreign father with a Samoan

mother and who cannot by law be recognised as being a subject or citizen of

the country to which his father is a subject or citizen, and the term "liquor"

shall mean any wine or other spirituous or fermented liquor or any liquid used for

drinking any portion of which is spirituous or fermented.

3.--No spirituous vinous or fermented liquors or intoxicating liquor or drink whatever

shall be sold, furnished to or procured for any native by any person except as hereunder

provided.

4.-If any person except as hereunder provided shall sell, supply to, or procure for any

native any liquor or drink as aforesaid or shall aid or abet in any way in the giving, selling,

supply or procuring any liquor in any form or quantity to or for any native shall be deemed to

be guilty of an offence against this Ordinance and on conviction thereof in a summary manner

shall be liable in addition to any penalty which may be incurred for the sale of such liquor

without a license to a fine not exceeding $100.0, or in default of payment, to imprisonment

for a term not exceeding 100 days.

5.--It shall not be lawful for any native to possess or have in his possession any liquor,

or to drink any liquor, and any native so doing shall on conviction be fined in a sum not

exceeding $25.00, in default of payment, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding 25 days.

EXEMPTIONS.

6.--Nothing in this Ordinance shall be held to apply

(a). To a minister of religion giving wine in conformity with any religious rite.

(b). To any person not being a publican, and not being within a public house, 2.

who shall give to any native for any urgent cause or necessity, and without

recompense or remuneration, any liquor, when such liquor is given solely

and purely for medical purposes; but it shall rest with the person giving

such liquor to prove satisfactory the existence of such urgent necessity and,

failing such proof, such person shall be liable to the punishment provided

for in paragraph 4 of this Ordinance.

(c). To the domestic servant or other messenger of any foreign resident who

shall bear a written and dated order for liquor from his employer for his em-

ployer's use. The term "Foreign Resident" in this Ordinance includes

and applies to every foreigner visiting, sojourning, or having a fixed place of

abode withing the limits of the United States Naval Station, Tutuila.

7. Any order under subsection "c" of the preceding section shall be signed by the,

employer, who shall also enter upon it the date of the day of his delivering it to his servant

and the order shall have no effect beyond the day of its date. Any person supplying liquor

upon such an order shall initial his name, and retain it in his possession for 12 calendar months.

8.--Any person shall be guilty of an offence against this ordinance and shall on convic-

tion thereof in a summary manner, be liable to the penalty provided in section 4 of this

Ordinance who for the purpose of evading the provisions hereof shall give liquor or allow his

name to be used for the purpose of procuring liquor for a native under color of any other

exemptions contained in this Ordinance.

9.--Storekeepers and publicans shall keep the liquor on their premises in such a manner

as to prevent easy access thereto by natives, and in default thereof shall be guilty of an offence

against this Ordinance and on conviction thereof in a summary manner to be liable to a penalty

of a fine not exceeding $25.00 or in default in payment thereof to imprisonment for a term

not exceeding 14 days.

10.--When any shall be charged with an offence under this ordinance, and said

offence shall have been prima facie established against him by the prosecutor he, unless he be

a medical practitioner, shall be hound to prove that he is, and that the prosecutor shall not

be bound to prove that he is not, covered by any of the exceptions provided by this

Ordinance.

11.--Any charge laid in respect of any offence against this Ordinance shall be laid within

a period of six months from the commission of such offence.

12.--This Ordinance shall take effect from and after the date of its publication.

Published and Exhibited at the Public Office of the Commandant in Fagatogo on this

18th day of April in the year 1900.

B. F. TILLEY, U.S.N.

COMMANDANT UNITED STATES NAVAL STATION, TUTUILA

[usnatarchives]

Is reading cursive your superpower? ✒️

🎉 It's #NationalVolunteerWeek! Thank you to our 23,454 Citizen Archivists (as of March 31, 2025) who have contributed to the National Archives Catalog by transcribing 1,147,019 pages. We invite everyone to volunteer as a #CitizenArchivist and help bring history to life.

One of the projects you can sign up for is the Revolutionary War Pension Files Transcription Mission—a special collaboration between the National Archives and the National Park Service as our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of American independence.

These pension files contain firsthand accounts from over 80,000 men and women who lived through the American Revolution. By transcribing and tagging these #RevWarVets documents, you make them more accessible to researchers, educators, and history enthusiasts worldwide.

Volunteers have uncovered fascinating stories, including battlefield experiences, sightings of famous generals, and glimpses of 18th century life. Your contributions help preserve these narratives for the future.

If you can read cursive, get started: https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions/revolutionary-war-pension-files

[todaysdocument]

La Spezia, Italy After Liberation

Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal OfficerSeries: Photographs of American Military Activities

Original Caption: "The 3rd Platoon of the 92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, 92nd Division, moves through La Spezia on the day of its liberation. U.S. Fifth Army." Original Signal Corps Number: MM-45-7621. Photographer: Lees

This photograph shows a group of civilians watching American armored vehicles go down a street.

[usnatarchives]

World Book Day: Washington's Revolutionary War account book

It's #WorldBookDay, and we're highlighting a page-turner in the holdings of the National Archives: George Washington's Revolutionary War account book.

General George Washington refused to accept a salary as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, but he did receive reimbursement for his expenses. Washington was always meticulous with his finances. He accounted for every penny spent at his Mount Vernon estate and applied the same precision in managing the Continental Army. Throughout the 8 years of the Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783), Washington maintained a complete record of all the expenses he incurred as Commander in Chief. This book is written almost entirely in his own hand and includes the charges of his daily meals, housekeepers, and spies. According to his accounts, Washington had incurred expenses totaling $160,074 by the end of the Revolutionary War.

These records provide enlightening insights into the daily lives of Washington, his family, and the people who played vital roles around them.

[usnatarchives]

On April 19, 1775, the "shot heard around the world," ignited the American Revolutionary War. 250 years later, we reflect on the battles of Lexington and Concord, where colonial resistance first erupted into open conflict.

Boston, the largest city in the 13 colonies, played a key role in stoking revolutionary fervor. Colonists, frustrated by taxation without representation, clashed with British troops in a fight that would shape the course of a nation.

Explore the full story in our latest blog post, part of our countdown to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. See how the National Archives is preserving the history of America's fight for liberty: https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2025/04/18/lexington-and-concord-22-hours-and-a-shot-heard-around-the-world

[todaysdocument]

Roseville, Placer County, California. On the Freights. Five o'clock in the morning in Roseville switch yards for freight going over the Sierra

Record Group 119: Records of the National Youth AdministrationSeries: Study of Youth Photographs

Roseville, Placer County, California. On the Freights. Five o'clock in the morning in Roseville switch yards for freight going over the Sierra. A family of Mexican agricultural workers heading for Utah to top sugar beets. The mother is twenty, the father twenty-one, the child three, and the other man is the brother of the father. They had slept out overnight in the grass without bedclothing; the child's overalls are wet with dew and he wears galoshes. A veteran migrant, he has been traveling by freight ever since he was four months old. His family follow a circuit of beets and cotton through Utah, Texas, and California

[usnatarchives]

"Listen, my children, and you shall hear…" 🏇

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode through the Massachusetts countryside to warn patriots of the approaching British forces. His ride helped ignite the Revolutionary War.

But Revere didn't ride alone. William Dawes and Samuel Prescott were also crucial messengers that night. Their coordinated efforts alerted militias before the battles of Lexington and Concord. Dive into primary sources on Docs Teach: https://www.docsteach.org/activities/printactivity/prequel-to-independence

The National Archives holds powerful visual records of this moment in history, including art and documents that tell the full story of Revere's mission. Explore the ride's legacy in this curated photo set: https://www.archives.gov/research/military/american-revolution/pictures

[todaysdocument]

"The `Top-Kick' looks them over at Camp Shanks, New York, Transportation Corps staging area of the New York Port of Embarkation. Tech. Sgt. Tommye Berry..."

Record Group 208: Records of the Office of War InformationSeries: Photographs of Notable Personalities

This photograph shows a woman in an Army uniform standing in front of a car and surrounded by other women in uniform.

[usnatarchives]

The sport of basketball was invented in 1891 by a man named Dr. James Naismith. He was a physical education teacher at the YMCA Training School (now known as Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, and he came up with the idea of basketball as a way to provide his students with a fun, indoor activity that would keep them active and engaged.

The first basketball game was played on December 21, 1891, and it was a pretty simple affair. There were nine players on each team, and the game was played inside a YMCA gymnasium. The court was just half the size of a modern basketball court, and the baskets were simply peach baskets attached to the walls.

The game was a huge success and quickly became a popular activity at the YMCA. In fact, the game spread so quickly that just a few years later, the first professional basketball league was formed.

Basketball in the National Archives

Every March even casual sports fans become obsessed with brackets, Cinderella stories, and buzzer-beating plays. But basketball is more than

[richardnixonlibrary]

#OTD 4/16/1972 Giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, gifts from the People’s Republic of China to the United States, arrived safely at Andrews Air Force Base.

(Image: Panda in transportation crate arriving at the National Zoo, courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archive)

[todaysdocument]

Dust Storm; "Dust Storm Approaching Spearman, Texas."

Collection FDR-PHOCO: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain PhotographsSeries: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs

This black and white photograph shows a large cloud of dust looming over several buildings in the foreground.