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