National Archives Public Programs in February
Press Release · Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, January 31, 2024 –  In February, the National Archives will present free public programs at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, its Presidential Libraries nationwide, and online. Programs this month include a discussion with author Edda L. Fields-Black, who will describe Harriet Tubman’s role in the Union Army at the Combahee River Raid, and the 10-Year Celebration of the David M. Rubenstein Records of Rights Gallery, as well as a continuation of the Concert Series at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum program.

(Virtual) The American Presidency: Pivotal Elections – Two Suns of the Southwest: Lyndon Johnson, Barry Goldwater, and the 1964 Battle between Liberalism and Conservatism
Thursday, February 1, at 4 p.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Register to attend virtually
The fourth in a six-part virtual series of lively conversations with eminent historians of American politics and the Presidency. Nancy Beck Young, professor of history at the University of Houston, will talk about the election of 1964. 

Each session in this series will begin with a moderated discussion led by LBJ Library Director Mark Lawrence and will allow ample time for questions from the audience. Over six weeks leading up to Presidents Day, we will sweep across American political history by delving into the elections of 1860, 1896, 1948, 1964, 1968, and 1980. We will examine Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, exploring the races that elevated them to the Oval Office and the implications of the races they won.

(In person) Clinton Presidential Center Presents “The First State Visit”
Thursday, February 1, at 6 p.m. CT
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, Little Rock, AR
Register to attend in person
In December of 1874, King Kalākaua of Hawaii became the first foreign leader to visit the White House. President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Grant displayed pomp and circumstance that set the bar for future state events. Ryan P. Semmes, Director of Research for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, will share fascinating stories and archival records related to that first state visit including a photograph of the Hawaiian delegation from Mrs. Grant’s personal scrapbook. Attendees will also learn about the history of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, how it came to be located on the campus of Mississippi State University, and current plans for expansion.

(Virtual) The American Presidency: Pivotal Elections – The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters
Thursday, February 8, at 4 p.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Register to attend virtually
The fifth in a six-part virtual series of lively conversations with eminent historians and observers of American politics and the presidency. Karl Rove, Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, will join us to talk about the election of 1896.

Each session in this series will begin with a moderated discussion led by LBJ Library Director Mark Lawrence and will allow ample time for questions from the audience. Over six weeks leading up to Presidents Day, we will sweep across American political history by delving into the elections of 1860, 1896, 1948, 1964, 1968, and 1980. We will examine Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, exploring the races that elevated them to the Oval Office and the implications of the races they won.

(In person) Sunday Concert Series at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Sunday, February 11, 18, and 25, at 2 p.m. PT 
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA
Register to attend in person
February 11: Heidi Vass, Soprano - Vocalist Concert
February 18:  Duo Art - Piano Duo Concert
February 25: A Little Dynasty - Chinese Children's Orchestra

(In Person & Virtual) Celebrating 10 Years of the David M. Rubenstein Records of Rights Gallery
Monday, February 12, at 7 p.m. ET
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
Register to attend in person; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
For 10 years, visitors to the National Archives have enjoyed the Records of Rights exhibit in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery. Anchored by the only copy of the Magna Carta in the United States, the gallery explores a range of individual rights issues and features key federal legislation and the stories of individual citizens’ struggles and triumphs to secure their rights. To honor the first decade of success, this program examines how rights are defined over time in our participatory republic. Speakers include David M. Rubenstein, National Archives Foundation Chair Secretary Rodney Slater, and a scholar panel, moderated by the Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan, including Julieanna Richardson, Executive Director of The HistoryMakers; Elisabeth Griffith, author of Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality: 1920–2020; and Mark Updegrove, Presidential Historian for ABC News. The program will be followed by a reception with light refreshments.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

(Virtual) Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War
Tuesday, February 13, at 1 p.m. ET
National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
Register to receive a reminder; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Author Edda L. Fields-Black will describe the Combahee River Raid during the Civil War. Hired by the Union Army, Harriet Tubman ventured into the heart of slave territory—Beaufort, SC, to live, work, and gather intelligence for a daring raid up the Combahee River to attack the major plantations of Rice Country, the breadbasket of the Confederacy. Dr.  Fields-Black — herself a descendent of one of the participants in the raid — shows how Tubman commanded a ring of spies, scouts, and pilots, and participated in military expeditions behind Confederate lines. Using documents, including Tubman’s U.S. Civil War pension file, bills of sale, wills, marriage settlements, and estate papers from planters’ families, Fields-Black brings to life the story of intergenerational, extended enslaved families. Joining the author in conversation will be Kate Clifford Larson, author of Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero.

Programs and the Black History Featured Document Display are made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Verizon.

(In Person & Virtual) International Relations in a Dangerous World
Thursday, February 15, at 7 p.m. ET
UPDATED LOCATION: Archivist's Reception Room (Enter via entrance at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue)
National Archives Building, Washington, DC
Register to attend in person; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
In commemoration of the 200th anniversary year of the Monroe Doctrine, the National Archives presents a discussion on the historic and current measures taken by the U.S. Government to protect U.S. citizens overseas. Participating in the discussion will be Ambassador Roger D. Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and Bruce R. Hoffman, Professor and Director, Center for Jewish Civilization (CJC) at Georgetown University. Moderating the discussion will be Robin Wright, Distinguished Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

(Virtual) National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet George Washington Carver
Thursday, February 15, at 11 a.m. ET
Watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
George Washington Carver was a noted American agricultural scientist, educator, and inventor. Carver was often referred to as “The Peanut Man.” He developed hundreds of products using peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans, revolutionizing the science behind planting and farming. He taught for many years about his work at the Tuskegee Institute. For his many contributions, his birthplace site was designated a national monument—the first person other than a U.S. President given the distinction. George Washington Carver is portrayed by Keith Henley of American Historical Theatre.

(Virtual) The American Presidency: Pivotal Elections - Camelot’s End: The Democrats’ Last Great Civil War
Thursday, February 15, at 4 p.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Register to attend virtually
The final session in a six-part virtual series that explores lively conversations with eminent historians and observers of American politics and the Presidency. Jon Ward, author and senior political correspondent for Yahoo News, will join us to talk about the election of 1980.

Each session will begin with a moderated discussion led by LBJ Library Director Mark Lawrence and allow ample time for questions from the audience. Over six weeks leading up to Presidents Day, we will sweep across American political history by delving into the elections of 1860, 1896, 1948, 1964, 1968, and 1980. We will examine Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, exploring the races that elevated them to the Oval Office and the implications of the races they won.

(In Person) David Finkel, Author of An American Dreamer: Life in a Divided Country
Thursday, February 15, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Register to attend in person
David Finkel, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thank You for Your Service and The Good Soldiers, now tells the story of one man navigating the deep divisions in America today and discovering that sometimes change can start by finding common ground with your neighbors.

(In Person) Presidents Day Weekend Events
Saturday, February 17, 1 p.m.–4 p.m. ET
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY
Register to attend in person
The event begins at 1 p.m. in the Wallace Center with a film screening of The President’s Mystery, a 1936 film based on a plotline developed by FDR himself. From 2 to 4 p.m. in the Research Room of the FDR Library, visitors can view a selection of Presidential autographs from the Roosevelt Library archives, largely from FDR’s personal collection, which are on display only once a year. Registration not required for documents display.

(In person) Memory and the Nation: Day of Remembrance 2024
Monday, February 19, at 1 p.m. ET
National Museum of American History
Register to attend in person, Washington DC
This Presidents Day marks the 82nd anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In collaboration with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and the Japanese American Citizens League, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library’s Director, William Harris, will participate in a panel discussion to commemorate the order that led to the wrongful incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. 

(Virtual) The First Migrants: How Black Homesteaders’ Quest for Land and Freedom Heralded America’s Great Migration
Tuesday, February 20, at 1 p.m. ET
Register to receive a reminder; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Authors Richard Edwards and Jacob K. Friefeld will discuss the largely unknown story of Black people who migrated from the South to the Great Plains between 1877 and 1920 in search of land and freedom. They exercised their rights under the Homestead Act to gain title to 650,000 acres, settling in all of the Great Plains states. Some created Black homesteader communities such as Nicodemus, KS, and DeWitty, NE, while others, including George Washington Carver and Oscar Micheaux, homesteaded alone. All sought a place where they could rise by their own talents and toil, unencumbered by Black codes, repression, and violence. In the words of one Nicodemus descendant, they found “a place they could experience real freedom,” though in a racist society that freedom could never be complete. Their quest foreshadowed the epic movement of Black people out of the South known as the Great Migration.

(In Person) McCracken Poston, Jr., Author of Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom
Thursday, February 15, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Register to attend in person
Zenith Man is the fascinating true story—sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking—of an idealistic young lawyer determined to free an innocent neurodivergent man accused of murdering the wife no one knew he had.

(In Person & Virtual) Chemistry Road Show
Thursday, February 22, 10:30 a.m & 12:30 p.m. CT
George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Register to attend in person and virtually
Join Jim Pennington as he ignites imaginations and engages students using chemistry. Students and adults alike will be wowed by fire, explosions, weird polymers, and super cold materials!

(In Person) Operation Safe Haven: The Hungarian Refugee Crisis of 1956-1958
Thursday, February 22, at 12 p.m. CT 
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, KS
Register to attend in person
Kate Hallgren, historian with  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services History Office and Library, will host a talk as part of the 2024 Lunch & Learn series. 

(Virtual) Freedman’s Village Discussion in Partnership with Arlington National Cemetery
Wednesday, February 28, at 1 p.m. ET
Register to receive a reminder; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
A panel of historians and archivists will discuss Freedman’s Village, a community of formerly enslaved African Americans established in 1863 on the Arlington, VA, estate previously owned by the family of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The Freedman’s Village on the Arlington property evolved into a unique and thriving community with schools, hospitals, churches, and social services. While intended to be temporary, the community remained on the land from 1863 until 1900, and it had a lasting legacy. Participating on the panel will be Amber Forrester and Damani Davis from the National Archives, Allison Finkelstein from Arlington National Cemetery, and Steve Hammond, a seventh-generation member of the Syphax family of Washington, DC.