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The 50th Anniversary March on Washington was a march to commemorate the historic1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which demanded civil and economic rights for African Americans and included one of the most important speeches in American History, "I have a dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The March happened on the same day as the 1963 march, August 28th. Tens and thousands of participants came to Washington DC, listening as political and civil rights leaders gave speeches reflecting on the legacy of racial progress over the last half-century and asked citizens to move forward with pursuing further equality and fulfill King's dreams. President Barack Obama, the first black President in the U.S. history, along with King's offspring and other civil rights activists appeared and gave speeches at the March. 

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The March On Washington For Jobs and Freedom is also known as the March on Washington, or The Great March on Washington. It was one of the largest political rallies for civil rights for African Americans in the United States; 200,000 to 300,000 participated in the march. The event took place on Wednesday August 28, 1963, in which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech in front of Lincoln Memorial. Besides the huge turnouts and messages it conveyed, the march is significant in civil rights history also because it helped the passing of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and gave precedence to the Selma Voting Rights Movement which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act (1965).

This button is a reproducation of the original from 1963. It was likely made as a commemorative button along with the MARCH ON WASHINGTON FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY button also in the museum

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On June 12, 1982, the Nuclear Freeze Rally, the largest anti-nuclear rally in history, took place in Central Park when one million people gathered to protest the use of nuclear weapons. At the time, both the United States and Russia were building up their armed forces and developing nuclear weapons in the midst of the Cold War. Protesters felt that the use of any of the advanced nuclear weapons would be enough to wipe out the entire human race and demanded a freeze to all development of such weapons. At first President Ronald Reagan called the protest leaders communist sympathizers, but the protest was ultimately successful when he later made negotiations with Russia, removed the weapons from parts of Europe, and reduced the size of America's nuclear arsenals.

Daley, Tad. (2012, June 12). Thirty Years Ago Today, at the Nuclear Freeze Rally in Central Park, We Saved Ourselves From Ourselves. Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tad-daley/nuclear-war-protest_b_1588344.html

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In 2004 Saint Croix Island, known in French as the Ile Sainte-Croix, celebrated the 400^th anniversary since France's attempt at establishing a colony there in 1604. The now uninhabited island, which is part of the border between the United States and Canada, stands at the mouth of the Saint Croix River. In 1604 Pierre Dugua landed on the island as part of a series of French attempts at establishing a colony, though the colony was later moved to Port-Royal, which became the first permanent European colony in the area. In 1984 the island officially became called the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. During the 400^th anniversary in 2004, the United States and Canada came together to celebrate with buttons, tours of the island, and commemorative stamps and coins.

Saint Croix Island, Maine. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2015 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix_Island,_Maine

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The modern U.S. Postal Service was established on July 1, 1971 through the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. This new act made the postal service a fully independent entity within the Executive branch of the federal government. Prior to 1971, the U.S. Postal Service had been a department of the Cabinet since 1872.

The U.S. Postal Service emphasizes in their marketing that they are continually improving and will be able to provide even better mail services in both the present and the future.

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The Unites States Postal Service (USPS) offers a savings bond program for its employees. Working with the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Savings Bond Program, the USPS allows employees to use a part of their salary to purchase savings bonds. Series EE Savings Bonds earn a fixed interest rate for up to 30 years and are meant to be a long-term investment. The bonds are sold for face value, and there are penalties for redeeming them before a five-year waiting period.

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In March 1999, the United States Postal Service (USPS) published a “Safety Talk” for employees that discussed everything from sunburns, dog bites, and substance abuse. The Safety Talk included a definition of substance abuse and how the USPS assists its employees who may be chemically dependent on a substance. The USPS also has a Postal Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for treatment and support. The Safety Talk also included an EAP brochure which the USPS encouraged all employees to review and share with family, children, and friends, to help assist others in treating their substance abuse. The Safety Talk ends with the phrase, "Let's end substance abuse together."

This was most likely given out at the same time as the Safety Talk’s publication, to help enforce the USPS message to end substance abuse.

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The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp featuring  an American bald eagle over a red moon on October 4, 1988. The price of $8.75 denoted a new, lower rate category for letter-sized Express Mail items, a drop from the previous price of $10.75. Though the stamp was issued for Express Mail service, it could be used on other kinds of mail. The eagle logo was used by the U.S. Postal Service from 1971 to 1993, when a streamlined eagle's head logo was adopted.

Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General in 1775. His operation evolved into the Post Office Department in 1792, a cabinet-level department in 1872, and an independent agency in 1971, when it was renamed the U.S. Postal Service.

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The United States Postal Service regularly advertises the services they provide, especially during the busy season around the winter holidays. One of their many slogans was "We Deliver for Yule!" The word "Yule" is the name of a historical winter festival used in place of "you" as part of a play on words. The USPS also produced a beanie bear, named Rudee, with the "We Deliver for Yule" slogan on the back of the bear. 

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