Project Past

Archival Research

Ink and Intrigue: What Presidential Private Correspondence Tells Us That History Books Never Did

Declassified letters, journals, and personal notes held within the National Archives are quietly rewriting what we thought we knew about America's most consequential leaders. From Lincoln's candid doubts to FDR's unguarded diplomatic exchanges, the private record often tells a strikingly different story than the official one. Archival researchers are piecing together a more complete — and more human — portrait of presidential decision-making.

Jul 15, 2026

Digital History

From Attic to Algorithm: How Everyday Americans Are Unlocking Millions of Handwritten Historical Records

Across the country, volunteers armed with nothing more than a laptop and a curiosity for the past are transcribing millions of handwritten historical documents — from Civil War diaries to immigration manifests — and making them searchable for the very first time. Crowdsourced transcription initiatives led by institutions like the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian are reshaping who gets to participate in historical research. The results are accelerating discovery at a pace that traditional

Jul 15, 2026