Today I took the metro from the Vienna station in Fairfax, Virginia, to the Federal Triangle station, near the Smithsonians and National Archives. I started with a visit to the National Archives.
When I've visited the National Archives in the past, I mainly went to see the Declaration of Independence, the Consititution, and the Bill of Rights. Today I spent more time than I expected in the National Archives because there were several interesting exhibits to see besides those documents.
I started by entering the rotunda and joining the others who came to see the main documents: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
-- Founding Documents in the Rotunda --
The documents are all behind glass in metal frames filled with argon gas. The lights in the room are dim to help preserve the documents, which have faded from earlier travels, exposure to the sun, and less delicate handling. Below is the Declaration of Independence. The writing and signatures are very faint now.
The pages of the constitution are similarly displayed, but the writing is less faint.
The signatures on the final page of the U.S. Constitution are much more visible than the faded ones on the Declaration of Independence.
The Bill of Rights was also on display.
A series of documents line the perimeter of the rotunda, and are similarly enclosed in glass and argon cases. It was interesting to read those documents. Among them were King George's "Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition" in the colonies, and the the Senate's vote on April 6, 1780 to elect George Washington as President of the United States of America. Washington received 69 votes. John Adams, who received 34 votes, was elected Vice President because he received the second highest number of votes.
The walls of the rotunda have two large paintings. The first one represents the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and the second represents the drafting of the Constitution.
There were several interesting documents in temporary exhibits outside the rotunda and in other galleries of the Archives. The temporary exhibits are changed from time to time.
-- Temporary Exhibits Outside the Rotunda --
The "Roots of Rebellion" exhibit discussed some events that led up to the revolutionary war, such as the aftermath of the French and Indian War. That war strained relations between Britain, colonists, and native americans. It triggered Britain to impose higher taxes on the colonies. Britain also tried to smooth relations with the native americans by limiting colonial westward expansion into tribal lands. A 1763 proclamation forbade colonists from settling west ofthe Appalachian mountains, which did not sit well with the colonists.
Another interesting exhibit, the 50th Anniversary of President Richard M. Nixon's Resignation, included his resignation letter to the Secretary of State, and President Ford's letter to the Senate that nominated Nelson Rockefeller as Vice President.
-- Temporary Exhibits in Galleries --
I enjoyed two other large exhibits that had their own galleries in the archives building. One large exhibit, titled "Power & Light," presented photos taken by Russell Lee to document the living conditions of coal workers. A survey of miner's conditions and wellbeing was part of the settlement of a coal miners strike after WWII.
The coal companies definitely took advantage of their workers and their limited opportunity for other types of work.
Interestingly, the exhibit mentioned that Lee's photo documentation of the coal miners living conditions may have led to the general stereotype that Appalatians are uneducated and poor. Lee published a book of his photos.
Another exhibit, called "Records of Rights", discussed changing rights in the United States.
A variety of rights were discussed. The exhibit brought up the point that a lot of the rights we hold dear originated from Europe... from the Magna Carta and enlighenment thinkers. One of the four surviving originals of the 1297 Magna Carta was on display, affixed with the King's seal.
I appreciated that the exhibit dealt with several rights, and not just the civil rights movement and emancipation from slavery. It mentioned those, and the fact that slaves built the capitol and white house, but it also mentioned Women's Sufferage (right to vote), equal opportunity in education (Title IX), Immigration rights, and other topics.
The historical documents outlining immigration quotas and other restrictions were also included in the display. The document below, for example, specified that idiots, criminals and paupers were not allowed to immigrate.
-- Smithsonians, Metro, and Dinner --
I spent most of my time today at the National Archives. I spent a few minutes in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, but it was crowed and I'll come back tomorrow.
I learned that seniors get a discount on the metro trains, but you have to fill out an appliction and show a government ID in order to get a Senior metro card. I paid full fare for a day pass today because Senior cards can only be obtained at designated locations, and the Vienna metro station where I entered the system today is not one of them. I stopped at a designated station later in the day, though, and got myself a Senior card for the rest of my time in Washington DC.
I was craving a hamburger tonight after I got back to Fairfax, and "Big Buns Damn Good Burgers" had good reviews, so that is where I had dinner. The burger lived up to its name.
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