Congress in the Archives

On June 4, 1919 House Joint Resolution 1, proposing a...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:39:12 -0400

On June 4, 1919 House Joint Resolution 1, proposing a Constitutional amendment extending the right to vote to women, passed the Senate. HJ Res 1 had passed in the House on May 21. Once the proposed amendment passed Congress, it was sent to states for ratification. On August 26, 1920 the amendment was ratified and became part of the U.S. Constitution.

House Joint Resolution 1, 5/19/1919, HR 66A-B6, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 1633885)

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our...

Fri, 31 May 2013 09:00:55 -0400

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our blog. Today’s post comes from Center archivist Kristen Wilhelm.

On May 31, 1889, one of the most famous floods in American history ravaged Johnstown, Pennsylvania, leaving 2,209 people dead. Clara Barton, president of the American Red Cross, arrived five days later and stayed until October distributing supplies and proving the relief organization had a peacetime role.

When the Senate introduced a bill granting Barton an annuity for her lifelong work during wars and catastrophes around the world, the citizens of Johnstown rallied to her side. Thirteen years after the flood, 480 signatories from Johnstown petitioned the Senate to pass the bill honoring the woman who did so much to help their crippled town survive disaster. Although Barton never received the annuity, she won the affection and appreciation of many people, the citizens of Johnstown included.

One of several petitions from the citizens of Johnstown, PA supporting the bill authorizing an annuity for Clara Barton, Sen 57A-J47, 6/2/1902, Records of the U.S. Senate.

Did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration...

Mon, 27 May 2013 09:00:42 -0400

Did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day? Shortly after the Civil War, a group of Union veterans called for a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers on May 30. The date was perhaps selected because flowers were in bloom all across the U.S. by late May.

In 1888, Congress declared Decoration Day a federal holiday in the District of Columbia so that veterans in federal employ could honor their fallen comrades and not lose a day’s pay. Decoration Day gradually became known as Memorial Day as the holiday expanded to commemorate veterans of all wars.

In 1968, Congress passed a law that named and moved several federal holidays. Included in H.R. 15951 was the official declaration of Memorial Day as a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday of May.

H.R. 15851, 05/10/1968, Records of the U.S. Senate

Astronaut Scott Carpenter explains a phase of his Aurora 7...

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:55 -0400

Astronaut Scott Carpenter explains a phase of his Aurora 7 flight to Astronaut John Glenn on May 24, 1962. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth and Carpenter was the second. Glenn and Carpenter are the last surviving members of Mercury Seven, the first group of American astronauts. This photograph was submitted to the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences.

Photograph of Astronaut Scott Carpenter explaining Phases of his Flight to Astronaut John Glenn, 5/24/1962, Records of the U.S. Senate

On May 20, 1797, President John Adams nominated his son, John...

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:00 -0400

On May 20, 1797, President John Adams nominated his son, John Quincy Adams, to be Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of Prussia. JQA served in this position until 1801.

Nomination of John Quincy Adams to be Minister Plenipotentiary, 5/20/1797, McCormick Collection, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 306287)

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our...

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:56:28 -0400

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our blog. Today’s post comes from Center archivist Kristen Wilhelm.

Forty years ago today self proclaimed “ol’ country lawyer” Senator Sam Ervin stepped onto center stage as chairman of the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, better known as the Watergate Committee. Senator Ervin became a household name as an estimated 85% of U.S. households viewed at least some of the hearings broadcast that summer.

Attorney General John Mitchell, shown in the photo, was one of the high-level Nixon administration figures whose testimony was broadcast. For the committee, bringing the hearings directly to the people was vital. As stated in its Final Report: “The full import of the hearings could only be achieved observing the witnesses and hearing their testimony.”

Photograph of Attorney General John Mitchell, 1973, Records of the U.S. Senate

usnatarchives: Tonight at 7 pm! Join us live or watch on...

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:02:00 -0400

usnatarchives:

Tonight at 7 pm! Join us live or watch on Ustream as former members of Congress discuss how the White House and Congress can work together.

“Congress and the White House: Partners or Foes?” will be streamed live on our UStream channel at 7 p.m.

Peter Cook, Bloomberg TV’s chief Washington correspondent will moderate panelists Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Vic Fazio (D-CA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and Larry Pressler (R-SD). Presented in partnership with U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress.

Did you vote for a U.S. Senator last November? If you did, it’s...

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:30:15 -0400

Did you vote for a U.S. Senator last November? If you did, it’s thanks to the 17th Amendment. The U.S. Constitution originally called for each state legislature to choose two senators. After decades of controversy, scandal, and even William Randolph Hearst’s muckraking, S. J. Res. 39 passed both houses on May 13, 1912 and started its 11-month journey toward ratification. On April 8, 1913, Connecticut’s approval of the 17th Amendment made the direct election of senators the law of the land.

Credentials of Joseph Taylor Robinson of Arkansas, the last Senator elected by a state legislature, 2/7/1913, Records of the U.S. Senate

"Well that’s an upsetting primary source."

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:50:27 -0400

“Well that’s an upsetting primary source.” - While this comment was in reference to this...

Petition from Minnie Fisher Cunningham of the Texas Woman...

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:48:04 -0400

Petition from Minnie Fisher Cunningham of the Texas Woman Suffrage Association for passage of the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment” sent to Congress on May 2, 1916

The amendment passed Congress on June 4, 1919. It was ratified as the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920.

Petition from Texas Woman Suffrage Association, 5/2/1916, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 306659)

Newspaper publisher and multi-millionaire William Randolph...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:15:43 -0400

Newspaper publisher and multi-millionaire William Randolph Hearst was viewed as a strong candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 1908. This illustration entitled, “Hearst’s New Make-up”, by cartoonist Clifford Berryman, appeared in the Washington Evening Star on June 5, 1907 and shows Hearst attempting to convince the common man that he is their friend. Hearst was born on April 29, 1863.

Hearst’s New Make-up by Clifford Berryman, 6/5/1907, U.S. Senate Collection (ARC 6010707)

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:45:30 -0400

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our blog. Today’s post comes from Center archivist Kristen Wilhelm.

Love it or hate it, it’s tax day! This year marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 16th Amendment, which allows Congress to collect a tax on income. Preparing my income tax return always brings out my archivist spidey senses – all those numbers in neat columns, tracking every receipt, having documentation for every entry — delightful!

The only thing as sure as death and taxes is that Congress in the Archives wouldn’t miss remembering the 16th Amendment!

Senate Joint Resolution 40, proposing a constitutional amendment, SEN 61A-B9, 6/28/1909, Records of the U.S. Senate

On September 18, 1975, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:25:28 -0400

On September 18, 1975, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hosted a luncheon in honor of Margaret Thatcher. Her note thanking the committee for their hospitality spoke volumes of her courtesy as well as her political aspirations: “I hope we shall meet again soon.” In 1979 Thatcher was the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She served until 1990. Thatcher passed away on April 8, 2013.

Margaret Thatcher letter, 9/23/1975, Records of the U.S. Senate

While we’re still reeling from the National’s...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:28:39 -0400

While we’re still reeling from the National’s Opening Day victory, we wanted to share this awesome new (free!) eBook from the National Archives.

“Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives” tells the story of baseball in America through documents, photographs, audio, video, and other records preserved at the National Archives. Chapter 9 “Saving the Integrity of the Game” features records from congressional hearings during the steroid era.

The book can be downloaded for free on your iPhone, Android, iPad, and eReaders, so check it out!

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:39:18 -0400

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our blog. Today’s post comes from Adam Berenbak.

Today is Opening Day in DC and all eyes are on the Nationals, especially their new mascot based on William Howard Taft. Taft is being celebrated as an addition to the ‘Presidents Run’ not only because he was an accomplished statesman and President, but because he is recognized as the first president to ever throw out a ‘first pitch’ on Opening Day, April 11, 1910.

Though the game is mostly remembered for Taft’s first pitch, Walter Johnson was the star, pitching within one hit of a no-hitter for Washington. Frank ‘Home Run’ Baker (who earned his nickname the following year with two dramatic home runs in the World Series) was the one batter to luck into a hit off of Johnson that day. In the fourth inning, Baker came to bat and lined a foul ball towards the President’s box. Though the ball missed Taft, it careened into the adjacent box, narrowly missing Vice President James Sherman before hitting Secretary of the Senate Charles Bennett in the head. Luckily for all involved, the ball “had spent its force when it landed in the box,” leaving everyone uninjured. Later reports and references to the incident, though, incorrectly refer to Bennett as the Secretary of State (and report that he was knocked out!).

As Secretary of the Senate, the chief legislative officer in the Senate, Bennett helped to usher the Senate into the modern era. In doing so, he was one of the first to collect and publish the various procedures of the Senate into a concise guide for Senators. He also enjoyed frequent outings to Boundary Field, and then National Park (later Griffith Stadium), to watch baseball.

Though no mascot of Bennett will be around during this year’s opening day game, their story reminds us all to watch out for the foul ball!

Will the Base Runner Start for Third? by Clifford Berryman, 8/17/1906, U.S. Senate Collection (ARC 6010644)

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:00:33 -0400

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our blog. Today’s post comes from intern Johanna Schein for women’s history month.

Women did not have the right to vote in 1913. Yet through organized lobbying efforts, their influence could still be felt in Congress, especially in terms of environmental policy. Tied to women’s larger effort to extend their traditional “housekeeping” role into the public sector, women’s clubs advocated for a stronger National Park system for the sake of both moral and physical health. When Congress was debating the Raker Bill in 1913, which would grant San Francisco the right to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, women’s clubs were among the strongest lobbying groups against the legislation.

In 1913, the Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs was just one of the many women’s organizations from across the country that submitted petitions to Congress urging them to protect the Hetch Hetchy Valley from development. In their resolution, the Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs argued that both women and men found health and inspiration in the Valley. The Federation stressed that with hotels and better transportation, the Hetch Hetchy Valley could be enjoyed by more citizens. According to their resolution, the damming of Hetch Hetchy would be not only unnecessary, but would also be an “irrevocable sacrifice” by the whole nation.

Petition from the Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs, 11/1913, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 7268076)

Even though the first day of spring was last week, many of us...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:41:35 -0400

Even though the first day of spring was last week, many of us are still feeling the effects of Old Man Winter! Clifford Berryman penned this cartoon for The Washington Evening Star as Washington, DC shivered through a cold spell during the end of March 1915.

Untitled by Clifford Berryman, 3/27/1915, U.S. Senate Collection (ARC 6011103)

todaysdocument: The Beer-Wine Revenue Act - March 22, 1933 80...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:08:08 -0400

Oh So Tempting, 06/10/1932 ARC Identifier 6012119

Carrying a full load of beer donated by the Marine Corps League for Marines in Korea, is Corporal R. L. Quisenberry, Dayton, Ohio., 07/25/1951 ARC Identifier 532421

BEER STEINS ARE RAISED AS THE CONCORD SINGERS PRACTICE SINGING GERMAN SONGS IN NEW ULM, MINNESOTA. 07/1974. ARC Identifier 558266

todaysdocument:

The Beer-Wine Revenue Act - March 22, 1933

80 years ago, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Beer–Wine Revenue Act into law on March 22, 1933. This law amended the Volstead Act and permitted the sale of beer and wine with an alcohol content of less than 3.2% by volume. The act represented the first relaxation of the prohibition laws since 1918 and was followed up at the end of the year with the passage of the 21st Amendment repealing prohibition. Repeal of prohibition laws was a key plank in the Democratic platform during the 1932 Presidential election as reflected in Clifford Berryman’s cartoon.

(Admittedly Marine Corporal R.L. Quisenberry and the New Ulm German singers club were likely not contemporaries of FDR’s decision, but we suspect they would have approved.)

On March 20, 1965, Mrs. Bertram Jeffrey sent this letter to...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:00:00 -0400

On March 20, 1965, Mrs. Bertram Jeffrey sent this letter to Representative Emanuel Cellar, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, advocating for the passage of the Voting Rights Act for the continuance of a true democratic system.

Letter from Mrs. Bertram Jeffrey in Favor of the Voting Rights Act, 3/20/1965, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 593573)

Here’s to the first day of spring! This untitled...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:00:55 -0400

Here’s to the first day of spring!

This untitled illustration by cartoonist Clifford Berryman, which appeared in the Washington Evening Star on March 12, 1908, shows Miss Spring hesitating at the gate before making her entrance.

Untitled by Clifford Berryman, 3/12/1908, U.S. Senate Collection (ARC 6010748)