On December 20, 1803, William C.C. Claiborne, Governor of the Mississippi Territory and one of the commissioners appointed to take possession of Louisiana from France, participated in the ceremonial exchange of the territory from Spain to France to the United States. Claiborne issued this proclamation in three languages (English, French, and Spanish) to inform the residents of the territory that they would soon become citizens of the United States, and that in the mean time they could enjoy the freedoms and liberty under the protection of the U.S. Constitution.
Astronaut and Senator John Glenn, 7/18/1921 - 12/08/2016
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Astronaut and Senator John Glenn earlier today. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7 as one of @nasa’s original “Mercury Seven” astronauts, served as a United States Senator from Ohio from 1974 - 1999, and was the oldest human to go into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-95 in 1998 at age 77.
Rest in peace, John Glenn.
Source: catalog.archives.gov
On December 8, 1941, the day after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Japan. The Senate quickly drafted and unanimously passed this joint resolution. The House voted on the resolution the same afternoon, and passed it 388-1. (The only “no” came from Representative Jeannette Rankin, a well-known pacifist who represented Wyoming.)
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers staged a surprise attack on U.S. military and naval forces in Hawaii. In a devastating defeat, the United States suffered 3,435 casualties and the loss of or severe damage to 188 planes, 8 battleships, 3 light cruisers, and 4 miscellaneous vessels. Japanese losses were less than 100 personnel, 29 planes, and 5 midget submarines.
Four years after the attack, Congress established the Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack. Their task was to make a full and complete investigation of the facts relating to the events and circumstances leading up to or following the attack. In its investigation, the committee sought to determine whether shortcomings or failures on the U.S. side might have contributed to the disaster and, if so, to suggest changes that might protect the country from another attack in the future. The committee’s public hearings began on November 15, 1945, and continued until May 31, 1946.
The Radar Plot of Detector Station Opana was an exhibit of the Joint Committee. The 22 x 31-inch radar plot was made by Privates Joseph L. Lockard and George Elliot at the Opana Radar Station on the morning of December 7, 1941. It indicated a large number of aircraft approaching the island of Oahu. The control officer whom Lockard and Elliot called believed the radar signals announced the approach of American B-17s scheduled for arrival the same day. It wasn’t until they arrived back at camp that they learned of the Japanese attack and surmised that the planes they had observed on the radar were the same ones who led the attack.
Radar Plot from Station Opana, exhibits compiled 11/15/1945 - 5/31/1946, Records of the Joint Committees of Congress (NAID 2600930)
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued a Proclamation stating that Thanksgiving would be the last Thursday of November. Prior to Lincoln’s Proclamation, Thanksgiving celebrations varied from year to year with the dates and months constantly changing. Then in 1939, when Thanksgiving fell on the last day in November, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was concerned that a shortened Christmas shopping season would dampen the economic recovery. He issued a Presidential Proclamation changing the celebration to the second to last Thursday in November.
Not wanting to deviated from tradition, some states refused to move the date of celebration. For two years, the nation and some states celebrated Thanksgiving on the second to last Thursday of November while other states continued to celebrate on the last Thursday of the month.
To unite the nation and end confusion, Congress decided to fix the date of the holiday. On October 6, 1941, the House passed a joint resolution declaring that the last Thursday in November was a legal holiday. The Senate, however, amended the resolution establishing the holiday as the fourth Thursday, which would take into account those years when November has five Thursdays.
The House agreed to the amendment, and President Roosevelt signed the resolution on December 26, 1941, thus establishing the fourth Thursday in November as the Federal Thanksgiving Day holiday.
H.J. Res. 41, 10/6/1941, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
Senate Amendments to H.J. Res. 41, 12/9/1941, Records of the U.S. Senate
Are you ready for Thanksgiving? This illustration entitled, “Unalloyed Thanksgiving,” by cartoonist Clifford Berryman depicts Thanksgiving Day preparations in Washington, DC. The schoolboy is excited for four days off from school. The dog wags his tail with excitement as a deliveryman brings a freshly plucked turkey and a can of mince meat to the family home. What are you looking forward to this week? Thanksgiving dinner or vacation?
“Unalloyed Thanksgiving” by Clifford Berryman (6011147), 11/24/1915, U.S. Senate Collection
Cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman pays tribute to fallen veterans on this Armistice Day with the wreath-covered tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Source: catalog.archives.gov
Election Day is here! We’ve put together an online exhibit that showcases the election process using political cartoons. Political cartoons are unlike any other form of political commentary.
Visual in nature, cartoons show altered physical traits and highlight
minute details to make a specific point. With simple pen strokes, they
foreshadow the future, poke fun at the past, and imply hidden motives in
ways that elude written or spoken reporting. The result of this
creative license is a unique historical perspective—entertaining,
clever, and insightful.
Check out our Google Cultural Institute online exhibit, Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and Political Cartoons.
On November 7, 1916, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to the United States Congress. She was sworn into office on April 2, 1916. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted woman the right to vote, was not ratified until nearly four years later.
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary, the Office of the House Historian is featuring a new online oral history project,
A Century of Women in Congress. The first phase of the
project includes full transcripts, video interview clips, and historic
photographs for 9 Members, 3 staff, and 1 family member. In the spring
of 2017 they will add more interviews. To view these interviews and to learn more about
the project, please visit their website:
http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/Century-of-Women/.
Credentials of Jeannette Rankin,
HR 65A-J1, 12/4/1916, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
On October 26 and 27, join genealogists around the world to watch the livestream of the fourth annual Virtual Genealogy Fair! Experts from the National Archives will share resources that you can use to dig deeper into your family history. See the full list of topics and speakers: http://bit.ly/2dedzL6