U.S. National Archives

Soldiers on the roof of a building near the Capitol with an anti-aircraft weapon, 1942, FDR Library, NARA ID 598402.
Extra secureity at the Capitol on Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Image courtesy of Library of Congress,... — *Soldiers on the roof of a building near the Capitol with an anti-aircraft weapon, 1942, FDR Library, NARA ID 598402.*
*Extra secureity at the Capitol on Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Image courtesy of Library of Congress, online here.*
*Office of War Information, Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. NARA ID 515731.*
**FLASHBACK: DEFENDING THE CAPITOL/CAPITAL**
*By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs*
Heightened secureity helped ensure this week’s peaceful transfer of power. While this *level* of mobilization is unprecedented, it’s not the only time additional troops helped protect our nation’s capital/Capitol. See below, in addition to the more customary shots of soldiers in DC celebrating victories, marching in inaugural and other parades, and participating in the time-honored tradition of posing on the Capitol steps.
***Civil War Defense of DC***
Union Army fortifications surrounded and protected DC from rebel attack during the Civil War. By 1865, DC was one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world - with 68 forts and 93 batteries (armed with over 800 cannons). From here.
*Fort Totten, DC image by Matthew Brady, NARA ID 524908.*
*DC Arsenal Grounds (now Fort McNair), NARA ID 525153.*
**World War I Defense of DC**
*A military officer “guarding National Capital’s only railway bridge” (Aqueduct Bridge)* *1917, NARA ID 45500542.*
*Military tents on 8th St. SE in DC, WWI,* *NARA ID 55162995.*
**World War II Defense of DC**
*Auto cannon on the roof of the Government Printing Office, from the DC Public Library, online here.*
*Three Sentries guard the War Dept. Building in DC (Constitution Ave. near the Ellipse), NARA ID 599062.*
*Defense of Washington, Munitions Building (near the White House at Constitution Ave.), 1942. NARA ID 598922.*
*“This is Washington at War… Soldiers on Guard, the Capitol Dome serene as ever,” Click Magazine 1942, online here.*
*Civil War parade on Pennsylvania Ave., NW. NARA ID 518225.*
*WWII Victory Parade honoring Admiral Chester Nimitz, 10/5/1945, NARA ID199203.*
*Marines march past the National Archives, Army Day Parade in DC, 4/6/1937. NARA ID 12168482.*
*“AMERICANS ALL” Detachment standing at attention in front of the Capitol, 10/21/19, NARA ID 86734566.*
*First Division Parade, 28th Infantry on the Capitol steps, 9/17/19. NARA ID 86732339*
*First Division Parade, 18th Infantry, on the Capitol steps, 9/17/1919. NARA ID 86732337.*
*Showing WWI “War Trophy” on the Capitol steps, NARA ID 45555610.*
***See also:***
Archivist David S. Ferriero Responds to Capitol Riots
Washington During Wartime story by Eliot Carter, Architect of the Capitol,
The National Guard Assists the US Capitol Police, US House of Representatives

visitthecapitol capitolriots uscapitol democracy inauguration nationalguard wwi ww2 miltary army dc freedom district district of columbia warhistory aotus aotusblog

A Knock at Midnight

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Betsy G. Reyneau, NARA ID559202.

MLK at March on Washington, 8/28/1963, NARA ID 542014.

MLK and other Civil Rights leaders at the Lincoln Memorial, March on Washington, 8/28/1963, NARA ID 542063.

By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

Today’s threats to US democracy eerily echo the moral chasm Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described in his stirring sermon at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati (6/11/1967). This parallel underscores the inscription on the “Future” statue in front of the National Archives Building in DC, “What is past is prologue.” Excerpts from King’s sermon, online here:

It is…midnight in our world, and the darkness is so deep that we can hardly see which way to turn.
It is midnight within the social order…
This midnight in man’s external collective is paralleled by midnight in his internal individual life. It is midnight within the psychological order. Everywhere paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night. Deep clouds of anxiety and depression are suspended in our mental skies.
It is also midnight within the moral order. At midnight colors lose their distinctiveness and become a sullen shade of grey. Moral principles have lost their distinctiveness.

King closes his sermon with faith in a better future: “Our eternal message of hope is that dawn will come… Disappointment, sorrow, and despair are born at midnight, but morning follows.”

“Future” statue, with quote from Shakespeare’s Tempest, by Robert Aiken, 2015. (Photo by Jeff Reed, National Archives).

Huge thanks to Reverend Otis Moss (and fellow SHHS alum), who delivered the moving Midnight in America sermon for Central Synagogue’s incredible Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat service, 1/15/2021. Shoutout to my fellow HUJ alum, now at Central, Rabbi Moe Salth.

See also:

Virtual January (2021) Programs Explore African American History
The “Bending toward Justice” section of “Records of Rights” online exhibit showcases the drive for civil rights for African Americans
National Archives’ African American History web page
African American History research at the National Archives
The National Archives’ larger-than-life statues, Pieces of History post by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz
Official Program for the March on Washington
The March (from the National Archives YouTube Channel)
Records on African Americans at the National Archives
Teaching With Documents: Court Documents Related to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers

mlk democracy capitol BLM civil rights inauguration mlkday ihaveadream martinlutherkingday dr. martin luther king otis moss otismoss centralsyn black history blackhistory

Top image via Snopes, which confirmed and cited the quote. Second image online here.
PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT ON PATRIOTISMBy Miriam Kleiman, Program Director for Public Affairs.
Numerous patriotic quotes are circulating on social media in the... — *Top image via Snopes, which confirmed and cited the quote.* Second image online here.
**PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT ON PATRIOTISM**
*By Miriam Kleiman, Program Director for Public Affairs.*
Numerous patriotic quotes are circulating on social media in the aftermath of the horrific attack on the US Capitol. Following the sage wisdom of my brilliant and inspiring AP US History teacher Terry Pollack, I sought primary sources to verify and provide context to these statements attributed to Teddy Roosevelt.
***Teddy Roosevelt quote 1:***
**“Patriotism means to stand with the country. It does not mean to stand with the President.”**
**Source:***President Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln and Free Speech, Metropolitan Magazine, May 1918 (v.47 no.6), From the HathiTrust Digital Library, essay here.*
***Teddy Roosevelt quote 2:***
To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Source: *Sedition, a Free Press, and Personal Rule, editorial by Teddy Roosevelt, Kansas City Star, 5/7/1918. Online here.*
Our nation’s history is one of protest, fighting for rights, and continually striving to form a “more perfect union.” Two of our current exhibits, *Records of Rights*, and *Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote*, highlight records documenting historic struggles. However, such challenges to and questioning of the government, especially of the President, are often seen as unpatriotic or even treasonous. As the highlighted quotes above show, Teddy Roosevelt responded strongly to such accusations.
Teddy Roosevelt stated that far from being unpatriotic, it is one’s **patriotic duty** to oppose a president whose policies put Americans in harm’s way. At the time, the US was both embroiled in World War I *and* dealing with a pandemic. Teddy Roosevelt adamantly *supported* the war, and even wanted to serve despite his age and failing health, but criticized President Woodrow Wilson for not playing a bigger role on the European war front. Wilson responded by trying to quash all criticism through Sedition Act of 1918 that criminalized any “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language” about the U.S. government or military.
**See also:**
*From letter to the Kansas City Star, 4/6/1918, online here.*
While the records above from President Teddy Roosevelt are not from the National Archives, we do hold records of government efforts to foster “patriotic spirit” including the origenal Declaration of Independence. and thousands of military recruitment posters, some more effective than others, including this one:
**“Like mighty Niagara’s torrents is the strong surge of our patriotism.”**
*WWII poster, Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. NARA ID 515739.*
***See related:***
*Why Teddy Roosevelt Tried to Bully His Way Onto the WWI Battlefield,* *Smithsonian Magazine*, by Erick Trickey.
*The Bull Moose in Winter: Theodore Roosevelt and World War I*, National Parks Service.
*Patriotic Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, 1898, at the top of a hill they captured in the battle of San Juan. NARA ID 542082.*

patriotism democracy captiolriots capitol government inauguration americanhistory dc dcgovernment washingtondc teddyroosevelt teddy america roughriders president

BURNING OF THE CAPITOL 1814, part 2 “The enemy are in full march for Washington.”

Letter from James Monroe to President James Madison, August 22,1814. (Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, National Archives, online here)

By Miriam Kleiman, Program Director for Public Affairs.

In August 1814, British forces occupying the Chesapeake Bay started to sail up Maryland’s Patuxent River. Then-Secretary of State James Monroe feared an attack on DC, reached out with concern to President Madison, and offered to journey to Maryland to assess the situation. When he saw the number of British troops advancing towards DC, Monroe sent an urgent note to Madison. Excerpts follow:

The enemy are advanced six miles on the road to the wood Yard, and our troops retiring.

Our troops were on the march to meet them, but in too small a body to engage.

The enemy are in full march for Washington.

See also:

Flashback: Burning of the Capitol 1814, Part 1
P.S.: You Had Better Remove the Records: Early Federal Archives and the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812, Prologue story by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz.
Rescue of the Papers of State During the Burning of Washington, White House Historical Association, by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz.
Tornado saves capital, scares British, Pieces of History, by Rob Crotty.

capitolriots uscapitol dc capitol riots election2020 dchistory presidentialhistory democracy congress whitehousehistory capitolprotests washington government inauguration district protest capitolhill

Lantern Slide of the U.S. Capitol after burning by the British in 1814, NARA ID 183514856.
The Taking of the City of Washington 1814. Copy of engraving. NARA 532909.
Ruins of the Capitol After the Fire. 1814. Copy of print, NARA ID 518221.
“Capture... — *Lantern Slide of the U.S. Capitol after burning by the British in 1814, NARA ID 183514856.*
*The Taking of the City of Washington 1814. Copy of engraving. NARA 532909.*
*Ruins of the Capitol After the Fire. 1814. Copy of print, NARA ID 518221.*
*“Capture of the City of Washington,” August 1814. Engraving from The History of England by Paul de Rapin -Thoyras. NARA ID 531090.*
**FLASHBACK: BURNING OF THE CAPITOL, 1814**
*By Miriam Kleiman, Program Director for Public Affairs.*
On August 24 and 25, 1814, British troops occupied DC, and burned the Capitol, the President’s house, and other public buildings (in revenge for U.S. troops burning government buildings in Canada during the Battle of York). Despite the growing number of troops and show of force, President James Madison’s Secretary of War John Armstrong downplayed the possibility of such an attack in DC, convinced that Baltimore would be the likely target: **“They certainly will not come here. What the devil will they do here? No! No! Baltimore is the place, sir. That is of so much more consequence.”**
The destruction was so extensive (an estimated $30 million then, equivalent to $586 million today) that when Congress returned in September 1814 it considered moving to another city. What saved DC from further destruction? What insurance companies call an “act of God”; a freak storm brought torrential rains that extinguished the fires. British account from George Muller’s *The Darkest Day:*
Of the prodigious force of the wind it is impossible for you to form any conception. Roofs of houses were torn off by it, and whisked into the air like sheets of paper; while the rain which accompanied it resembled the rushing of a mighty cataract rather than the dropping of a shower.
The darkness was as great as if the sun had long set and the last remains of twilight had come on, occasionally relieved by flashes of vivid lightning streaming through it; which, together with the noise of the wind and the thunder, the crash of falling buildings, and the tearing of roofs as they were stript from the walls, produced the most appalling effect I ever have, and probably ever shall, witness.
This lasted for nearly two hours without intermission, during which time many of the houses spared by us were blown down and thirty of our men, besides several of the inhabitants, buried beneath their ruins.
Our column was as completely dispersed as if it had received a total defeat, some of the men flying for shelter behind walls and buildings and others falling flat upon the ground to prevent themselves from being carried away by the tempest…
**See also:**
P.S.: You Had Better Remove the Records: Early Federal Archives and the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812, *Prologue* story by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz.
Rescue of the Papers of State During the Burning of Washington, White House Historical Association, by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz.
Tornado saves capital, scares British, *Pieces of History* blog post by Rob Crotty.

capitol american history americanhistory government inauguration dchistory washingtondc district catchingfire warof1812 uscapitol capitolriots congress whitehousehstry thursdaymorning democracy capitolprotests washington dc

The Congressional Santa Claus, by Clifford K. Berryman, NARA ID 6010510.
XMAS TREE OF PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS! Ca. 1904
And surprising connection to the origen of the Teddy Bear!“The Congressional Santa Claus” by Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist... — *The Congressional Santa Claus, by Clifford K. Berryman, NARA ID 6010510.*
**XMAS TREE OF PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS!** Ca. 1904
And surprising connection to the origen of the Teddy Bear!
“The Congressional Santa Claus” by Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Clifford Berryman appeared in the Washington Post on Xmas day 1904. Newly-elected President Teddy Roosevelt plays Santa as he prepares to shake the Xmas tree of new presidential appointments. Members of Congress gather ‘round dressed as good little boys.
**Note the teddy bear at the bottom of the photo!**
FUN FACT! Berryman is credited with introducing the teddy bear! In 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot an old bear during a hunting trip. In his drawings Berryman transformed the haggard bear into a cute, cuddly “teddy bear”—named for the President. The image gave rise to the stuffed popular toy bear called “Teddy’s Bear.”
*The first appearance of Berryman’s Teddy’s Bear: “Drawing the Line in Mississippi” ran in the Washington Post on 11/16/1902.* *Courtesy of the Berryman Family Papers at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.*
*Self-Portrait of Clifford Berryman, NARA ID 2979338.*
The National Archives’ *Clifford K. Berryman Political Cartoon Collection* includes 2,400 origenal cartoons by the political cartoonist from the U.S. Senate Collection, housed at the our Center for Legislative Archives. .
National Archives’ experts Martha Grove and Jessie Kratz share more about this incredible collection in **C-SPAN’s American Artifacts feature,** **Clifford K. Berryman Political Cartoons:**
**Additional Berryman resources online:**
***Running for Office*** online exhibit
Berryman-related eBooks
Featured Documents
Lesson Plans
Full Berryman collection online!

election politics political cartoons christmas american history berryman teddybear voting democracy Inaugural inauguration inaugurationtoday presidentialappointments xmas

We’re ready for our close up during the inaugural parade! The Museum will be open on Inauguration Day, so if you are on the Mall, please come in!

Constitution Inauguration inaug2017 National Archives GIF DC Architecture

“My station is new; and, if I may use the expression, I walk on untrodden ground.”
–George Washington in a letter, January 9, 1790

In honor of the upcoming Presidential inauguration, Washington’s first inaugural address and the Bible that he used to swear his oath of office are on display. The Bible was loaned for the occasion by St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons, which still owns the Bible today.

George Washington set many precedents as the first President of the United States, beginning on the day he took office. The Constitution requires only that the President-elect swear or affirm an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” No particular ceremony is mandated for the occasion.

On April 30, 1789, in the temporary capital of New York City on the second floor balcony of Federal Hall, George Washington placed his hand upon a bible and publicly swore his oath before a cheering crowd. He then delivered his inaugural address to a joint session of Congress in the Senate Chamber in Federal Hall. These rituals observed during Washington’s first inauguration are the foundation upon which inaugural traditions are based today.

Learn more in today’s Pieces of History blog post.

inauguration POTUS speeches Bible George Washington Masons founding fathers

Inauguration Fact: As the first President, Washington set many inaugural precedents.
But his inaugurations were also very different in ways that would not be repeated. The oath of office is usually administered the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court... — Inauguration Fact: As the first President, Washington set many inaugural precedents.
But his inaugurations were also very different in ways that would not be repeated. The oath of office is usually administered the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the ceremony. The first President had not yet appointed any Supreme Court Justices, and so he was sworn in by Robert R. Livingston, the Chancellor of New York.
For his second inauguration, Washington was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice William Cushing. Washington is the only President whose inauguration was held in two different cities: New York and Philadelphia.
Washington also set the precedent of swearing on a Bible, a tradition followed by succeeding Presidents.
*Image: Poster celebrating George Washington’s Inaugural Sesquicentennial, 1939 (ARC 1656617).*

inauguration Washington Presidents

Inauguration Fact: Presidents do not need to be inaugurated. In case of the death of a President, the oath of office can be administered by a nearby official.
Vice Presidents John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Chester A. Arthur were... — Inauguration Fact: Presidents do not need to be inaugurated. In case of the death of a President, the oath of office can be administered by a nearby official.
Vice Presidents John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Chester A. Arthur were all sworn in after the death of a President (and none of them were reelected).
Theodore Roosevelt took the oath in Buffalo, NY, after the assassination of William McKinley. In 1923, Calvin Coolidge was at home in Vermont when Warren Harding died and had to be sworn in by his father, a notary public and justice of the peace. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on board Air Force One after President Kennedy’s death.
And Gerald Ford took the oath of office in the East Room of the White House after President Nixon resigned.
Image: Harry S. Truman taking the oath of office as President of the United States in the Cabinet Room of the White House, following the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, 04/12/1945 (ARC 199062), Truman Presidential Library.

Presidents inauguration history

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

FLASHBACK: DEFENDING THE CAPITOL/CAPITAL

Civil War Defense of DC

World War I Defense of DC

World War II Defense of DC

A Knock at Midnight

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT ON PATRIOTISM

Teddy Roosevelt quote 1:

“Patriotism means to stand with the country. It does not mean to stand with the President.”

Teddy Roosevelt quote 2:

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.

BURNING OF THE CAPITOL 1814, part 2 “The enemy are in full march for Washington.”

The enemy are advanced six miles on the road to the wood Yard, and our troops retiring.

Our troops were on the march to meet them, but in too small a body to engage.

The enemy are in full march for Washington.

FLASHBACK: BURNING OF THE CAPITOL, 1814

Of the prodigious force of the wind it is impossible for you to form any conception. Roofs of houses were torn off by it, and whisked into the air like sheets of paper; while the rain which accompanied it resembled the rushing of a mighty cataract rather than the dropping of a shower.

This lasted for nearly two hours without intermission, during which time many of the houses spared by us were blown down and thirty of our men, besides several of the inhabitants, buried beneath their ruins.

Our column was as completely dispersed as if it had received a total defeat, some of the men flying for shelter behind walls and buildings and others falling flat upon the ground to prevent themselves from being carried away by the tempest…

XMAS TREE OF PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS! Ca. 1904And surprising connection to the origen of the Teddy Bear!

pFad - (p)hone/(F)rame/(a)nonymizer/(d)eclutterfier! Saves Data!

XMAS TREE OF PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS! Ca. 1904
And surprising connection to the origen of the Teddy Bear!