Epic History

Today we remember Janet Reno, seen here in on the far right of the first row with President Bill Clinton and the rest of his Cabinet and senior advisors.

Reno was the first women to serve as Attorney General of the United States. As the second longest-serving Attorney General in American history, she oversaw many landmark and controversial cases, including the Waco siege, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Elián González custody dispute, and the capture and conviction of the Unabomber.

Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on March 17, 1980, the Refugee Act of 1980 increased the annual ceiling for refugees to 50,000, established a procedure for evaluating and modifying the refugee ceiling in times of emergency, and required annual consultation between Congress and the President.

The passage of the act came at the end of the Vietnam War when hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodians fled political chaos and physical danger in their home countries. The law also funded a new Office of U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs and an Office of Refugee Resettlement in addition to building upon existing public-private partnerships that helped refugees settle and adjust to life in their new country.

On November 19, join us as we explore the complicated issues of immigration throughout history and in the modern era in our next National Conversation on Rights and Justice--Immigration: Barriers and Access. Learn more and register at archivesfoundation.org/attend

Image: "South China Sea....Crewmen of the amphibious cargo ship USS Durham (LKA-114) take Vietnamese refugees aboard a small craft. The refugees will be transferred later by mechanized landing craft (LCM) to the freighter Transcolorado," 4/3/1975.

Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 3, 1965, the Immigration Act of 1965 was a significant milestone in American immigration history.

The passage of this act abolished the quota system established by the Immigration Act of 1924, which had prohibited Asian immigrants, limited Latin American immigrants, and set up strict immigration quotas for European countries. The Immigration Act of 1965 also eliminated the formally racial character of immigration to the United States by distinguishing between hemispheres of origin, rather than discriminating on the basis of ethnicity or race.

On November 19, join us as we explore the complicated issues of immigration throughout history and in the modern era in our next National Conversation on Rights and Justice--Immigration: Barriers and Access. Learn more and register at archivesfoundation.org/attend

Image: "Photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson Signing the Immigration Act," 10/3/1965.

Lions and tigers and bears - oh my! Throughout history, many military regiments have adopted mascots and pets, many of which had utilitarian or ceremonial jobs. However, they primarily provided kinship and comfort to the soldiers and were noted to significantly boost their morale.

Approved on May 6, 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States.

With the passage of this Act, for the first time federal law proscribed entry of an ethnic working group on the premise that it endangered the good order of certain localities. The Act provided an absolute 10-year moratorium on Chinese labor immigration and required the few non-laborers who sought entry to obtain certification from the Chinese government that they were qualified to immigrate. Though the Act expired in 1892, its policies were extended through various other laws and acts well into the 20th century. Learn more...

On November 19, join us as we explore the complicated issues of immigration throughout history and in the modern era in our next National Conversation on Rights and Justice--Immigration: Barriers and Access. Learn more and register at archivesfoundation.org/attend

After the first world war, a group called the American Gold Star Mothers' Association lobbied for federally funded pilgrimages abroad to visit the graves of their sons and husbands who died in the line of duty while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Congress approved an act which paid for the overseas travel expenses of 6,693 women from 1930 to 1933.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Power movement, join us Wednesday, October 19 at 7pm for "Revolutionary Movements Then and Now: Black Power and Black Lives Matter," a panel discussion moderated by journalist and author A’Lelia Bundles. The program will be livestreamed.

Panelists include Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL), co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party; Ericka Brown-Abram, author of Black Panther Princess and the daughter of former chair of the Black Panther Party Elaine Brown; Alicia Garza, co-founder, Black Lives Matter; Jakobi Williams, associate professor of history at Indiana University- Bloomington and author of From the Bullet to the Ballot; and Princess Black, activist and historian. An open reception follows.

Happy anniversary, Gerald and Betty Ford!

In August 1947, Gerald Ford was introduced to Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer Warren by mutual friends and a few months later they were engaged. The couple had to delay the wedding while Ford planned his first congressional campaign because they were unsure how voters would feel about him marrying a divorced ex-dancer. They were finally married on October 15, 1948 at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Betty wore a sapphire blue satin dress and a matching hat with a piece of lace from a parasol belonging to her husband-to-be's grandmother, while Gerald had mud on his shoes from campaigning before the ceremony. “My mother was furious,” he recalled, “but Betty pretended not to notice.”

The United States was in the midst of a significant deflationary recession when President Harding was inaugurated in 1921. Harding’s Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, suggested holding a national conference to address the unemployment crisis. The conference convened on September 26, 1921 and divided into ten subcommittees which recommended that private businesses, and state and local governments move forward with construction projects in order to create short term jobs.

Following the conference, Hoover created a Bureau of Unemployment in the Department of Commerce, which distributed reports, publications and press releases to local committees across the country on the conference's findings. As the winter approached, unemployment began to decline due to seasonal layoff, but the next spring, the economy was on the rebound.

Happy 126th birthday, President Dwight D. Eisenhower!

Born today in 1890 in Texas, Dwight D. Eisenhower graduated from West Point in 1915 with what became known as "the class the stars fell on," because 59 members eventually became general officers. During World War I, he served in US Army camps around the United States despite his requests to fight abroad. After the war, he was promoted to major - a rank he held for 16 years.

In the early 1930s, Eisenhower was posted as chief military aide to General Douglas MacArthur and would accompany him to the Philippines for four years. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Eisenhower created major war plans to defeat Japan and Germany, which led to his appointment as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

After the victorious end of World War II, Eisenhower returned to Washington, DC, to serve as Chief of Staff of the Army. As the 1948 presidential election approached, many politicians from both parties encouraged Eisenhower to run, but he could not be persuaded until the 1952 election. His simple and effective slogan "I Like Ike" and selection of Richard Nixon for Vice President helped him defeat his opponent by a landslide. Eisenhower was the last President born in the 19th century and the only general to serve as President in the 20th century.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

On September 28, 1974, First Lady Betty Ford underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer. The Ford family was very open and public about the First Lady's illness, given the wake of the previous administration's scandals.

Following the First Lady's recovery, she continued to be open about her cancer and treatment, which helped raise awareness for the disease. This lead to an increase in self-examinations and reported cases of breast cancer, which became known as the "Betty Ford blip."

Happy 132nd birthday, Eleanor Roosevelt!

Born today in 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt was a passionate advocate for human rights, including gender equality around the world. Join her granddaughter Anna Eleanor Roosevelt for a keynote discussion at the National Conversation on Women's Rights and Gender Equality at the National Archives at New York on October 21.

Register now to attend or livestream the keynote conversation, along with four additional panels exploring the current state of women’s rights and gender equality in the United States.

The “National Conversation on Rights and Justice” in New York City is presented in part by AT&T, Ford Foundation, Seedlings Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the National Archives Foundation.

It's International Day of the Girl!

Interested in learning more about current issues facing girls and women today? Register now to attend or livestream the National Conversation on Women's Rights and Gender Equality at the National Archives at New York on October 21!

Featuring five different programs, this event is a part of a nationwide series of conversations on rights and justice in the modern era. Learn more and register to attend this free program in-person or online today.