NATIONAL ARCHIVES MARKS BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH PROGRAM ON THE
                             UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FEBRUARY 3

Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad

Washington, DC. On Tuesday, February 3, at 7 PM, the National
Archives presents a special program titled “Gateway to Freedom: The
Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. ”This event is free and
open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan
Theater of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.  The
event will also be streamed live via YouTube.

Author Eric Foner builds on fresh evidence—including a secret,
detailed record of slave escapes—to tell the dramatic story of
fugitive slaves and the antislavery activists who defied the law to help
them reach freedom. Ed Ayers, President of the University of Richmond,
will moderate a panel including Mr. Foner, professor of history at
Columbia University and author of Gateway to Freedom; Edna Greene
Medford, professor of history at Howard University; and Adam Rothman,
associate professor of history at Georgetown University. A book signing
will follow the program.

Attendees should use the Special Events entrance, located on
Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW.  The building is fully
accessible. Metro: Yellow or Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial
station. To verify the date and times of the programs, view the Calendar
of Events online: http://www.archives.gov/calendar. 

Related new permanent exhibition

The new permanent exhibit at the National Archives, "Records of
Rights," [2] uses original documents, photographs, facsimiles, videos,
and interactive exhibits to explore how Americans have worked to realize
the ideals of freedom enshrined in our nation’s founding documents and
how they have debated issues such as citizenship, free speech, voting
rights, and equal opportunity. Exploring many stories–and showcasing
the drive for civil rights for African Americans, women, and
immigrants–the new exhibition chronicles the past and current
generations whose efforts to secure equality under the law have shaped
the country we live in today.


For press information contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff
at 202-357-5300.

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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES PRESENTS SPECIAL NOONTIME BOOK TALKS IN FEBRUARY

Washington, DC. . . The National Archives presents a series of noontime
public programs in February.  These book talks are free and open to the
public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the
National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, and streamed live on
YouTube.  Book signings will follow each program.  Attendees should
use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street,
NW.  Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy
Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

BLESSED EXPERIENCES: GENUINELY SOUTHERN, PROUDLY BLACK
 Tuesday, February 10
 From his humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, to his prominence
on the Washington, D.C., political scene as the third highest-ranking
Democrat in the House of Representatives, U.S. Congressman James E.
Clyburn (D-SC) has led an extraordinary life. In Blessed Experiences,
Clyburn tells in his own inspirational words how an African American boy
from the Jim Crow-era South was able to beat the odds to achieve great
success and become, as President Barack Obama describes him, “one of a
handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress
listens.”

REDEMPTION SONGS: SUING FOR FREEDOM BEFORE DRED SCOTT
Friday, February 13
The Dred Scott case is the most well-known example of a slave suing for
freedom, but it was just one of many freedom lawsuits in the antebellum
period. Legal scholar Lea VanderVelde discusses 12 never-before analyzed
cases.

88 DAYS TO KANDAHAR: A CIA DIARY
Tuesday, February 17
Robert Grenier was the CIA Station Chief in Islamabad where he launched
the “southern campaign,” orchestrating the final defeat of the
Taliban and Hamid Karzai’s rise to power in 88 chaotic days. 

 
MADISON’S GIFT: FIVE PARTNERSHIPS THAT BUILT AMERICA
Wednesday, February 25
Historian David O. Stewart restores James Madison to his proper place as
the most significant framer of the new nation. Neither soldier nor
orator, low on charisma and high on intelligence, Madison cared more
about achieving results than taking the credit. He blended his talents
with those of key partners, led the drive for the Constitutional
Convention, and pressed for an effective new government.

A CHOSEN EXILE: A HISTORY OF RACIAL PASSING IN AMERICAN LIFE
Friday, February 27
Between the eighteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, countless African
Americans passed as white, leaving behind families and friends, roots
and community. Historian Allyson Hobbs explores the possibilities and
challenges that racial indeterminacy presented to men and women living
in a country obsessed with racial distinctions.

 

The National Archives is fully accessible, and Assisted Listening
Devices are available in the McGowan Theater upon request.



NATIONAL ARCHIVES AWARDS $2.2 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR

HISTORICAL RECORDS PROJECTS

 

Washington, DC . . . Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero
today awarded 35 grants and one cooperative agreement totaling
$2,186,024 to projects being undertaken in 27 states, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and the District of Columbia. The National Archives grants
program is carried out through the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission (NHPRC). A complete list of new grants is online at
www.archives.gov/nhprc/awards/awards-2-15.html.

Publishing grants totaling nearly $960,000 went to eight publishing
projects from the U.S. Colonial and Early National Period: the papers of
Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Dolley
Madison, John Jay, the Documentary History of the Ratification of the
U.S. Constitution, and the Documentary History of the First Federal
Congress. The Commission also funded its ongoing cooperative agreement
with the University of Virginia to support  Founders Online
(http://founders.archives.gov), which provides free online access to
the papers of the United States of America’s founders.

Grants totaling nearly $527,000 went for State Board Programming grants
to enable 20 state historical records advisory boards to carry out their
mission to support archival education and strengthen the nation’s
archival network.

Access to Historical Records grants, totaling over $550,000, went to
seven projects to digitize the records of the Atlas Rocket program at
the San Diego Air and Space Museum; to process four large photograph
collections documenting Colorado and the American West; to provide
online access to the records of the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary
Music; to digitize audio recordings from the Women’s Overseas Service
League; to digitize 2,200 audio recordings from 20th-century writers in
the American Public Media Archive; to expand access to 418 archival
collections of the Jewish Theological Seminary; and to process the
records of New York City’s Almshouse in 19th century/early 20th
century.

Three new people joined the Commission: Naomi Nelson, appointed by
President Barack Obama, the Associate Librarian at Duke University; Kaye
Lanning Minchew, Director of the Troup County (GA) Archives,
representing the National Association of Government Archives and Records
Administrators; and W. Eric Emerson, Director of the South Carolina
Department of Archives and History, representing the American
Association for State and Local History.

The Archivist of the United States is the Chairman of the 15-member
Commission, which includes representatives from all three branches of
the Federal Government as well as the leading archival and historical
professional associations. Kathleen Williams is the Executive
Director.

Established in 1934 with the National Archives, the NHPRC has awarded
nearly 5,000 grants for preserving, publishing, and providing access to
the nation’s historical documents.