Discovering the National Archives is a fascinating journey through history. Here's a look at Abraham Lincoln's nomination of William Seward to be Secretary of State in 1861, as well as a photo of Seward taken by Matthew Brady.

In January 1860, the Tokugawa shogunate sent a delegation to the United States with the primary objective of ratifying the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (aka, the Harris Treaty). Commodore Matthew Perry (not Chandler) had opened Japan (forcefully) in 1854 and this was the first Japanese diplomatic mission sent to the United States. This historic event is particularly...