Stories

Alexander Stephens served in Georgia’s state legislature and US Congress before his selection as the Vice President of the Confederacy in 1861. After the surrender at Appomattox Court House, federal soldiers captured Stephens and brought him to Fort Warren in Boston as a prisoner. Following his release, Stephens continued in politics and eventually became the 50th governor of Georgia in 1882.

This finding aid describes the Vera B. Craig Papers, part of the NPS History Collection.

This finding aid describes the Harry T. Thompson Collection, part of the National Capital Regional Office Museum Collection.

In the hearts of Washingtonians, April 16 is Emancipation Day, a landmark date in the city's history. In a gruesome irony, the nation's capital, symbol of a nation founded on liberty and equality, also became home to a thriving trade in enslaved people. It was not until 1862 that Congress passed a law ending slavery in the District of Columbia. That law, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, has become an integral part of the city’s heritage.

President Lincoln's leadership of the United States of America through the cataclysm of the Civil War ranks as one of the finest presidencies in American history.

The beige women’s wardrobe is one of the most misunderstood National Park Service (NPS) uniforms. It’s also the uniform that usually gets the most attention—despite being worn for only three years. Many incorrectly believe it dates to the 1960s and featured miniskirts and go-go boots. The fact that it is the one least like the standard green ranger uniform wasn’t an accident.

For Tina Short and Kym Elder, African American history is personal. The mother and daughter have expanded the stories the NPS tells while serving their home community. This article was developed from oral history interviews in which they discuss their careers in DC area parks. The interviews contribute to "Telling Our Untold Stories: Civil Rights in the National Park Service Oral History Project" and "Women’s Voices: Women in the National Park Service Oral History Project."

American author Nathaniel Hawthorne observed in the 1860s that "the Willard Hotel more justly could be called the center of Washington than either the Capitol or the White House or the State Department." From 1847 when the enterprising Willard brothers, Henry and Edwin, first set up as innkeepers on the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the Willard has occupied a unique niche in the history of Washington and the nation.

What do your students know about Abraham Lincoln? In this issue of NAMA Notebook, we offer resources to expand your lessons about the 16th President and the Lincoln Memorial beyond the assassination.

Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President and First Lady Lincoln, had the misfortune to be at the site of three Presidents of the United States. Read about occassion and how Robert Todd Lincoln was connected.