National Portal to Historic Collections

Why do we need a national nonprofit membership society for American history?

“Save America’s Treasures” has been totally eliminated—the largest Federal program supporting preservation of such treasures as the original Star Spangled Banner and George Washington’s tent.
65% of Americans don’t know what happened at the Constitutional Convention, according to a recent survey by Newsweek.
The “Teaching American History” grants—the largest Federal program supporting history education—have been completely eliminated.
Visits to the Top 20 Civil War battlefields have dropped in half from 1970 to 2009 according to official National Park Service statistics.
40% of Americans can’t identify whom we fought in World War II, according to a recent survey by Newsweek.
A quarter of Americans believe Congress shares power over U.S. foreign policy with the United Nations, according to a recent Annenberg survey.
“There is little that is more important for an American citizen to know than the history and traditions of his country,” John F. Kennedy wrote in American Heritage.
The “We the People Program,” which touched some 30 million students and 90,000 teachers over 25 years, has been completely eliminated.
Two-thirds of Americans could not correctly name Yorktown as the last major military action of the American Revolution, according to a recent national Gallup survey.
The National Heritage Areas and Scenic Byways program, the only major Federal program encouraging visits to historic places, has been completely eliminated in Congressional committee.

		Image: Collection: , Beverly, Massachusetts Description: Account book of the vessels "Betsey, "Joanna", and "Hawk".
		Image: Collection: , Beverly, Massachusetts Description: A letter from John Jacob Blandow posted in St. Petersburg to Captain John Lovett advising him of his retirement and that his brother Michael...
		Image: Collection: The Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts Description: Account book of the vessels "Betsey, "Joanna", and "Hawk".
		Image: Collection: The Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts Description: Records of Beverly vessels giving a variety of information (not all the categories are covered for each vessel) including: type of vessel, name,...
		Image: Collection: The Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts Description: Account book of the fishing Schooner "Edward Burley"
		Image: Collection: The Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts Description: 1846 Account book, who kept this book is not recorded. A note in the book suggests that this is not a Beverly item. Only a few of the pages in...
		Image: Collection: The Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts Description: A letter from Boston written by Captain Augustus Lovett to his brother Captain John Lovett posted from Boston. Augustus is informing John that a...
		Image: Collection: The Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts Description: A letter from John Jacob Blandow posted in St. Petersburg to Captain John Lovett advising him of his retirement and that his brother Michael...
		Image: Collection: Dumbarton House, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: Square handkerchief with central linen ground surrounded by deep border of very fine handmade Point de Gaze needle lace in floral, foliate, and...
		Image: "We searched for Sun City before it existed!" Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Advertisement. "We searched for Sun City before it existed" One of a series of ads appearing in various publications in the early 1960's touting...
		Image: 4 Pounder Bronze Gun Collection: National Museum Of The U.S. Navy, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: This 4-pound gun lacks national markings, but records indicate that it was captured during the war of 1812; its vent field is conspicuously...
		Image: Austrian 6 Pounder Rifled Howitzer Collection: National Museum Of The U.S. Navy, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: This piece is an Austrian 6-pounder rifled howitzer manufactured at Vienna in 1843. Its weight is indicated at the forward end of the second...
		Image: Confectionary Collection: West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, Louisiana Description: A pressed-glass candy confectionary in the shape of a sitting hen. Cardboard was used at the bottom to hold in the contents. The mark "J.H." is...
		Image: French 4 Pounder Smoothbore Collection: National Museum Of The U.S. Navy, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: This is a French 4-pounder smoothbore gun, cast at Lyons in 1793 and apparently captured during the Quasi-War with France (1798-1800)....
		Image: "'To Care for Him Who Has Borne the Battle' Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "1848" Stoneware Jug Collection: Museum Of Florida History, Tallahassee, Florida Description: Jug. Made of greenish-tan glazed stoneware. Has a scroll on the border and "1848" in brown hand-painted on the top. The jug has two loop handles....
		Image: "a Rising Star Of Promise" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "A Study of Alternative Forms of Government Structure for Sun City, Arizona" by M.R. Farrell & Associates Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: A study done by M.R. Farrell Associates for Del E. Webb Company on alternative forms of government for Sun City. Study explains evolution of Sun...
		Image: "A Sun is Rising in the West"-Sun City West Marketing Brochure Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Marketing brochure for Sun City West
		Image: "AAUW forms SCW branch" Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: News article - source not indicated American Association of University Women forms SCW branch The museum maintains an extensive file of news...
		Image: "Active RETIREMENT Is a Proven Success..." Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Advertisement. "Active RETIREMENT Is a Proven Success..." One of a series of ads appearing in various publications in the early 1960's touting the...
		Image: "Active Retirement's Success Story in Sign Language" Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Advertisement. "Active Retirement's Success Story in Sign Language" One of a series of ads appearing in various publications in the early 1960's...
		Image: "ALL YOURS... 5 1/2 cents a DAY" Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Advertisement. "ALL YOURS... 5 1/2 cents a DAY" One of a series of ads appearing in various publications in the early 1960's touting the Sun City...
		Image: "Allegory of America with an Eagle" Collection: Dumbarton House, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: Colored stipple engraving of "Allegory of America with an Eagle" by an unknown artist, matted in black and gilt eglomise within a gilt frame.
		Image: "Amazing Sales Progress" Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Del Webb's Sun City Sun Dial, Vol. 1 No. 7. July, 1961 Published by the Del E. Webb Development Co. P.O. Box 555-SD Sun City, Arizona 4 page...
		Image: "America Guided by Wisdom" Collection: Dumbarton House, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: Engraving titled "America Guided by Wisdom: An Allegorical representation of the United States, denoting their Independence and prosperity" by...
		Image: "AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE A BUNCH OF OLD FOGIES" Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Advertisement. "AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE A BUNCH OF OLD FOGIES" One of a series of ads appearing in various publications in the early 1960's touting...
		Image: "Apts, Villas, Chalet, Garden Court, Patio Apts and Duplex"-Floor plans for early homes Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Floor plans and elevations of model homes for apartments, villas, chalets, garden courts, patio apartments and duplexes. Picture of outside of...
		Image: "arising Star Of Promise" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "Baltimore's African American Celebrate the Fifteenth Amendment, Establishing the Right of Suffrage, 1870." Baltimore, Maryland. Collection: Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland
		Image: "bayonet! Forward" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "Be Our Guest...." Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: Advertisement. "Be Our Guest...." One of a series of ads appearing in various publications in the early 1960's touting the Sun City lifestyle....
		Image: "Beauties of the Draft, No substitute wanted." Collection: National Museum Of Civil War Medicine, Frederick, Maryland Description: Front image shows "U.S. Recruiting Office, Col. Sharp." Drawing of a soldier attempting to kiss a woman, old man in cap peeps from an overhead...
		Image: "big Boy" Acoustic Collection: Smithsonian National Museum Of American History, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: The Larson brothers' guitars, built under several different brand names, were among the first to be specifically designed for steel strings. To...
		Image: "breaking The Backbone Of The Rebellion" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "breaking The Backbone Of The Rebellion" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia Description: REFERENCE COPY *** DOES NOT CIRCULATE ***
		Image: "breaking The Backbone Of The Rebellion" The Final Battles Of The Petersburg Campaign Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "Bullseye" Tin Canteen With Wool Cover Collection: Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
		Image: "Bush Wins It" newspaper story Collection: Museum Of Florida History, Tallahassee, Florida Description: Newspaper. Section A of the Miami Herald's final edition on November 8, 2000 reporting that George W. Bush had won the presidential election of...
		Image: "Cease Fire" movie poster Collection: Museum Of Florida History, Tallahassee, Florida Description: Poster, Movie. One-sheet movie poster for film "Cease Fire." Scene in center is divided diagonally into three scenes. Top left shows man firing...
		Image: "Cerise d'Angleterre Native" Collection: Dumbarton House, Washington, District Of Columbia Description: French botanical stipple engraving by Pierre Jean Francois Turpin printed in colors and finished by hand with watercolor, titled "Cerise d'...
		Image: "City Gates" Collection: Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, St. Augustine, Florida Description: Oil Painting. "City Gates". Artist, George Harvey (1800-1878). View of Castillo de San Marco, St. Augustine, Fl. in background with large house in...
		Image: "co. Aytch" A Side Show Of The Big Show Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "Confederate War Monument, Columbia, SC" postmarked… Collection: Historic Columbia Foundation, Columbia, South Carolina Description: "Confederate War Monument, Columbia, SC" postmarked January 13, 1908; hand writing on front; color drawing.
		Image: "Consuming Retirement The Creation of the Recreational Retirement Community, Del Webb's Sun City 1960-Present" thesis Collection: Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona Description: A thesis for the A.B. Degree with Honors in History by Elizabeth Joy Pillsbury. Goes over the inception of Sun City to the date the thesis was...
		Image: "damage Them All You Can" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "dear Friend Anna" Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "dear Friends At Home..." The Letters And Diary Of Thomas James Owen, Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment, During The Civil War Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "dear Mother Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia
		Image: "dear" Aunt Harriet Collection: Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg, Virginia

American Heritage

Collections, Travel, and Great Writing On History

Why do we need a national nonprofit membership society for American history?