National Archives and Law Library of Congress Proposed Amendments Edit-a-Thon

Join the National Archives and Records Administration and the Law Library of Congress for the first in a series of a workshop and an edit-a-thon focused on improving Wikipedia entries related to proposed Constitutional amendments based on National Archives and Law Library of Congress records. Activities included new editor orientation and training and a presentation from National Archives staff. Coffee and lunch will be generously provided courtesy of Wikimedia D.C.. This event is part of the Amending America initiative at the National Archives in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.

When: Friday, July 29, 2016; 10:00am - 5:00pm

Who: No advanced technical skills required!
All members of the public, Library of Congress, and NARA staff, whether Wikipedians or not, are welcome to join.

What to bring: Photo ID; Laptop (limited number can be loaned if needed)

Where

To access NARA's Innovation Hub, please use the National Archives Building's entrance at Pennsylvania Avenue. This is the research/staff entrance, not the main exhibits/events door.

Innovation Hub

National Archives Building

700 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20408

RSVP Preferred: Sign up directly below or at meetup.com. This event is free of charge with security and catering; an advance headcount is desired.

Goals

To encourage inexperienced editors and show them how they can contribute to Wikipedia
To improve a selection of Wikipedia articles related to Constitutional amendments proposed in Congress
To increase awareness of NARA records and research resources
To celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Bill of Rights

Schedule

**Proposed Amendment Agenda**
Time	Activity	Location
10:00	Meet and refreshments	Innovation Hub (see above for directions) Photo ID required for security entry
10:15-11:00	Welcome and editing tutorial Greetings by Jim Gardner, Executive for Legislative Archives, Presidential Libraries, and Museum Services	Innovation Hub AND online
11:00-11:30	Tour of Amending America exhibit with curator Christine Blackerby	Start in Innovation Hub, move to exhibit as a group
11:30-12:00	Introduction to Century of Lawmaking from Law Library of Congress	Innovation Hub AND online
12:15	Lunch generously provided by Wikimedia D.C.
12:00-5:00	Editathon	Innovation Hub

Questions? Add your own

What should I bring?

Laptop & photo ID. The Archives has a limited number of loaner laptops you may utilize during the edit-a-thon, and they are first-come, first-served.

May I take photographs?

You're welcome to bring your own camera or non-feeder scanner.

Do I need a research card?

You will not be required to obtain a research card to attend the event, but researcher registration is right outside the room, and this is a great opportunity to get one!

RSVP

Attendees

Kirill Lokshin (talk) 14:07, 13 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
econterms (talk) 15:18, 19 July 2016 (UTC) -- part of the day I expect[reply]
Fuzheado | Talk 16:08, 27 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Antony–22 (^talk⁄_contribs) 03:35, 29 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
User:friend of Smokey the Bear
Geraldshields11 (talk) 19:31, 5 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]

NARA & Law Library staff

Participating remotely

We will also be broadcasting the first part of the day on a Google Hangout (we'll break for the exhibit tour). Join part one here and part two here. During the editing if you have questions, log in to the chat below or ask them to innovationhub@nara.gov

Can't make it to the event? You can participate online! Here's how it works:

1

On the day of the event, check in with your Wikipedia username.
Don't have a username yet? It's easy to create one.

2

Choose an article to edit from the list on this page.
Want to work on an article that's not on the list? You're welcome to choose any topic you like!

3

Have questions during the event? Chat with us!
Some events also include a video or audio conference. You can find more details on this page.

To-do list

To create

Constitutional Amendment on English as Official Language - Nothing about constitutional amendments on the Languages of the United States Page
- NARA Record: Letter from the Polish American Congress in Support of a Constitutional Amendment to Make English the Official Language of the United States, 02/06/1984 (NAID 26283956)
- NARA Record: Seguridad Contra Fuegos FEMA Safety Poster, 1997 (NAID 24520429)
Plural marriage amendment - No page exists only Reynolds v. United States or Polygamy, neither mention the drive for a constitutional amendment. The drive mostly came during Utah’s bid for statehood. There was also a push at the time for the federal government to regulate marriage and divorce (because of the fear of polygamy from Utah).
- NARA Record: Defense of Plural Marriage by the Women of Utah County, 1878 (NAID 24747004)
- Barbara Hayward, “Utah’s Anti-Polygamy Society, 1878-1884,” in Brigham Young University BYU Scholars Archive
- Kahlile Mehr, “Women’s Response to Plural Marriage”
- Richard B. Bernstein, Amending America (New York: Times Books, Random House Inc., 1993), 195
Abolition of Presidency or Impeachment of Andrew Johnson - No page exists for the actual idea of abolishing the presidency, but it was done in direct response to Andrew Johnson
- NARA Record: Memorial Regarding the Abolition of the Presidency, 02/1868 (NAID 25466022)
- Reviewed Work: The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson by Michael Les Benedict Review by: James C. Mohr The Journal of Negro History Vol. 58, No. 3 (Jul., 1973), pp. 363-364
- The Abolition of the Presidency Addresses by Carl Heinzen and Mrs. Clara Neymann, New York Times, October 24, 1872. (The article begins at the very bottom of the PDF)
Missing votes in Congress
- NARA Record: Petition for a Constitutional Amendment to Expel Members of Congress who are Absent for More than 40 Percent of Roll Call Votes, ca 1971 (NAID 26283957)
- Richard A. Davis, CRS Report for Congress: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America Introduced in Congress From the 91st Congress, 1st Session, Through the 98th Congress, 2nd Session, January 1969-December 1984, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, February 1, 1985.
- (Primary) Margaret Chase Smith Proposed Constitutional Amendment Summary, December 20, 1971; Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee/ Constitutional Amendments (SEN14A-604; 92 nd Congress; Records of the U.S. Senate, RG 46; National Archives, Washington, DC

To expand / improve

List of Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution - Incomplete list of proposed amendments not approved by Congress
- List of proposed amendments to the United States Constitution dataset
U.S. Bill of Rights Could edit/add documents to include more details about proposals/changes made in the Senate
- NARA Record: Motions A-D Proposing Amendments to the Constitution that Failed, 09/07/1789 (NAID 24824270)
- NARA Record: Senate Revisions to House Proposed Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, 09/09/1789 (NAID 3535588)
- Why a Bill of Rights?
- The Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, March 4, 1789-March 3, 1791: Vol. 1. Senate Legislative Journal. Linda Grant De Pauw, Editor. Charlene Bangs Bickford and LaVonne Marlene Siegel, Assistant Editors. (The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1972)
- “Additional Articles of Amendment, September 7, 1789; Creating the Bill of Rights: The Documentary Record from the First Federal Congress.” Pg. 41-42.
School Prayer Amendment - Contains little info prior to 1997, so this is a great candidate. This was one of the most introduced amendment in the 60s and 70s.
- NARA Record: Letter from the Central Christian Church of Fort Lauderdale in Favor of the School Prayer Constitutional Amendment, 06/11/1964 (NAID 24824307)
- Letter from the Alabama Baptist State Convention Opposed to a School Prayer Constitutional Amendment, 05/08/1964 (NAID 24824310)
- “Congress Fails to Act on School Prayer Amendments.” In CQ Almanac 1964, 20th ed., 398-404. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, 1965.
- Green, Steven K. “Becker Amendment.” US Civil Liberties, n.d.
Flag desecration - Could edit section on the United States
- NARA Record: Petition from People for the American Way Opposed to the Flag Burning Constitutional Amendment, 06/20,1990 (NAID 26283955)
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; Women’s Suffrage (section the U.S) - Could edit 19th Amendment background to include failed variations or add information about attempts to amend.
- NARA Record: House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) 159, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution to Extend the Right to Vote to Widows and Spinsters who are Property Holders, 04/30/1888 (NAID 25466157)
- NARA Record: Petition for Universal Suffrage which Asks for an Amendment to the Constitution that Shall Prohibit the Several States from Disenfranchising Any of Their Citizens on the Ground of Sex, 1865 (NAID 26081744)
- Ames, Proposed Amendments to the Constitution, 238.
- “The Women’s Rights Movement, 1848-1920,” in I’m No Lady; I’m a Member of Congress online exhibit, History, Art and Archives, the House of Representatives.
Declaration of war by the United States - Could add section on constitutional amendments. This was as a result of American Isolationism and could be too narrow of an issue to be noted in the article.
- NARA Record: Petition for a Constitutional Amendment to Hold National Referendums on Declarations of War from Danville, Ohio, 1938 (NAID 24200391)
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Axis Alliance in World War II.”Holocaust Encyclopedia, 2015.
- U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. “American Isolationism in the 1930’s”, n.d.
Christian amendment - Seems pretty extensive but this was one of the most introduced amendments so maybe there is something there.
- NARA Record: Petition from the Congregation of the United Presbyterian Church from Sebring, Ohio to Amend the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, 02/15/1923 (NAID 24200385)
Languages of the United States - Nothing about constitutional amendments
- NARA Record: Letter from the Polish American Congress in Support of a Constitutional Amendment to Make English the Official Language of the United States, 02/06/1984 (NAID 26283956)
- NARA Record: Seguridad Contra Fuegos FEMA Safety Poster, 1997 (NAID 24520429)
Human Life Amendment - Covers all pro-life amendments, but roughly half of the amendments introduced during this time period were pro-choice and there doesn’t seem to be anything about them in Wikipedia.
- NARA Record: Letter to Senator Birch Bayh Regarding Congressional Hearings on Constitutional Amendments on Abortion from Senator James Buckley, 01/29/1974 (NAID 26283954)
- Human Life Amendment Highlights: United States Congress (1973-2003)
- Report—Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response, pg. 10-11.
Duel - Could edit the section on dueling in Colonial North America/United States.
- NARA Record: H.R. 8, Proposing an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to Prohibit any Person who was Involved in a Duel from Holding Public Federal Office, 03/05/1838 (NAID 25466015)
- “A fatal Duel Between Members in 1838,” US House of Representatives Historical Highlights
- Wood, Margaret “A Duel with Rifles” The Library of Congress
Three-Fifths Compromise - Could be edited to include background about this proposed amendment, but it’s a narrow idea.
- NARA Record: Petition from Citizens of Ashtabula County, Ohio for a Constitutional Amendment that Representation in Congress be Uniform throughout the Country, ca 1844 (NAID 25466018)
- Ames, Herman V. “Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1896: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution, 1789-1880.” 54th Congress, 1897.
United States presidential election - Portions of the article that talk about other options considered or introduced.
- NARA Record: House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) 8 Proposing a Constitutional Amendment to Elect the President by Lot, 01/13/1846 (NAID 24200386)
- Herman Ames, Annual Report of the American Historical Association: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution, (Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C. 1897).
- “Electoral College Reform,” in John R. Vile, Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues 1789-2010.
Thomas Abernethy - Proposed several amendments, including amendments relating to school prayer and election of the President and Vice President, none of which are mentioned in the article.
- Amending America: Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution, 1787-2014, Data Set
Olin E. Teague - Proposed several amendments, including amendments relating to term limits, reconfirmation, and other amendments pertaining to Federal judges and Supreme Court Justices. None of these proposed amendments are mentioned in the article.
- Amending America: Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution, 1787-2014, Data Set
Andrew Jacobs, Jr. - Co-authored Voting Rights Act and proposed several amendments, including amendments relating to balancing the budget, prayer in public buildings, and many others. None of the amendments are mentioned in the article.
- Amending America: Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution, 1787-2014, Data Set

Resources

General sources

Amending America: Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution, 1787-2014, Data Set
List of documents related to Amending America
ProQuest Congressional Serial Set - Committee Hearings & Testimony
Century of Lawmaking - Law Library of Congress
Congress.gov Search - Law Library of Congress
U.S. Statutes at Large - Law Library of Congress
H.Doc. 353, pt. 2 from the 54th Congress - The appendix of this document discusses the disposition of joint resolutions from 1789 - 1889

Help after the event

Wikipedia:Teahouse, a friendly place to help new editors get started

Results

Olin E. Teague - added in Congressional Amendments
Duel added law and amendment
Flag Desecration added lists of amendment proposers
Flag Desecration Amendment - changed references in the table from Thomas to Congress.gov because Thomas has been retired by the Library of Congress
Single subject amendment - new article, DYK
Award presentation
Creation of 5 photographs to document the event