A Glimpse of History

If the pen is mightier than the sword, some of the most powerful weapons in American history will be on display at the National Archives and Records Administration this spring. From the official voting journal of the 1787 Constitutional Convention to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, more than 35 original documents of historical significance will be showcased in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, DC. Much of “American Originals: Part V” will include never-before-seen materials, such as President Reagan’s handwritten draft of his 1985 inaugural address.

The National Archives also has been busy adding some helpful resources to the genealogy section of its Web site <www.nara.gov/genealogy/>. Perhaps you’ll find use for these guides to NARA family history resources, which direct you to related finding aids, books, microfilm records and online catalogs:

Pre-Federal Records <www.nara.gov/genealogy/prefed.html>

Income Tax Records of the Civil War Years <www.nara.gov/publications/prologue/fox.html>

World War I Draft Registration Cards <www.nara.gov/genealogy/widraft.html>

Deaths of US Citizens in Foreign Countries <www.nara.gov/genealogy/deathsi.html>

From the June 2001 issue of Family Tree Magazine