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
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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

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

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 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)

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)
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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)

Received by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 15, 1830 this petition from the Cherokee Nation, which was written in both Cherokee and English, asserted the tribe’s status as a sovereign nation in response to a bill which had been introduced to remove them from their land. Despite the petition, the legislation passed three months later, setting the stage for the eviction of the tribe in 1838 and the hardships they endured on the “Trail of Tears.” Memorial of the Cherokees, HR 21A-H11, 2/15/1830, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 306680)
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Received by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 15, 1830 this petition from the Cherokee Nation, which was written in both Cherokee and English, asserted the tribe’s status as a sovereign nation in response to a bill which had been introduced to remove them from their land. Despite the petition, the legislation passed three months later, setting the stage for the eviction of the tribe in 1838 and the hardships they endured on the “Trail of Tears.”

Memorial of the Cherokees, HR 21A-H11, 2/15/1830, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 306680)

On January 28, 1942, Representative Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA) introduced H.R. 6293, a bill to establish the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps for noncombat service with the U.S. Army. H.R. 6293 was signed into law on May 14, 1942. A year later the unit was renamed the Women’s Army Corps, and the servicewomen were granted official military status. H.R. 6293, HR 77A-B5, 1/28/1942, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 4397811) 
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On January 28, 1942, Representative Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA) introduced H.R. 6293, a bill to establish the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps for noncombat service with the U.S. Army. H.R. 6293 was signed into law on May 14, 1942. A year later the unit was renamed the Women’s Army Corps, and the servicewomen were granted official military status.

H.R. 6293, HR 77A-B5, 1/28/1942, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 4397811) 

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In honor of the 2013 Inauguration, the first and last page of Washington’s first Inaugural Address are on display at the National Archives until January 31.

Unseasonably cold and snowy weather delayed the first Presidential inauguration, which had been scheduled for the first Wednesday in March 1789. Many members of the First Federal Congress were unable to arrive promptly in New York City, then the seat of government.

On April 6, 1789—over a month late—enough members had reached New York to tally the electoral ballots. George Washington won unanimously with 69 electoral votes. When notified of his victory, he traveled to New York City from his home in Virginia.

On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the Presidential oath on a second floor balcony of Federal Hall. Below, an enthusiastic crowd assembled in the streets. The President and members of Congress then retired to the Senate Chamber, where Washington delivered his first inaugural address.

Keenly aware of the momentousness of the occasion, Washington accepted the Presidency and spoke of his determination to make the American experiment a success. He humbly noted the power of the nation’s call for him to serve as President and the shared responsibility of the President and Congress to preserve “the sacred fire of liberty” and a republican form of government. You can read the transcript of this speech.

The National Archives will be open on Inauguration Day! Come and see this featured document, and then watch the 11:30 a.m. swearing-in ceremony in our theater.
Calling All Teachers! The Center for Legislative Archives has a new home on DocsTeach! You can use this special page to find historical documents and teach about representative democracy, how Congress works, and the important role that Congress has played throughout American history. On DocsTeach you can discover thousands of primary sources and learning activities related to history and government. The activities help students practice historical thinking by: focusing on details, making connections, finding a sequence, mapping history, weighing the evidence, and seeing the big picture. If you are a registered user, you can borrow from and modify an ever-expanding collection of activities, and create new ones for your students using the online tools.
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Calling All Teachers!

The Center for Legislative Archives has a new home on DocsTeach! You can use this special page to find historical documents and teach about representative democracy, how Congress works, and the important role that Congress has played throughout American history.

On DocsTeach you can discover thousands of primary sources and learning activities related to history and government. The activities help students practice historical thinking by: focusing on details, making connections, finding a sequence, mapping history, weighing the evidence, and seeing the big picture. If you are a registered user, you can borrow from and modify an ever-expanding collection of activities, and create new ones for your students using the online tools.