Down to the Wire: Telegrams in the Archives
Long before FaceTime, long even before landline telephones, the primary mode of long-distance communication was the telegraph. You could send
Patents
The American Story: Your First Look at America’s Spirit of Invention
We are gearing up for the opening of The American Story at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. this
Soaring: Pioneers of American Aerospace
62 years ago this May, U.S. Astronaut Alan Shepard set an historic era of American aerospace into motion with his journey aboard the Mercury capsule Freedom 7. Launch into his legacy and the iconic Americans who eventually brought us into the space age…
You’ve Got Mail!
The urgency of Paul Revere’s historic ride proves that even in the earliest days of our nation’s history, there was often a need for haste to get our messages delivered. What we now call “snail mail” was never going to be fast enough for a people anxious for independence.
As our borders expanded, our desire to overcome the barriers of distance and time became a common thread in our shared story. Several pivotal innovations redefined our ability to connect with one another and get our messages across.