National Archives

Many of the records in the national archive contains census records dating back to 1790.

Some documents located in the national archives include the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independance.

Originally, each branch and agency of the U.S. government was responsible for maintaining its own documents, which often resulted in the loss and destruction of record

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records.

There have been inscriptions on the walls of the walls, and on the west side of the building:
"The glory and romance of our history are here preserved in the chronicles of those who conceived and builded [sic] the structure of our nation."

There is a program that allows you to turn in lost medals of figures from different wars.

The National Archives and Records Administration stores and provides public access to the original documents that set up the American government in 1774.

The records of the nation's civil, military and diplomatic activities are also held by the National Archives for present and future generations.

Congress established the National Archives Establishment in 1934 in order to centralize federal record keeping.

Four large sculptures, representing the Future, the Past, Heritage, and Guardianship ( care: attention and management implying responsibility for safety) sit on pedestals near the entrances.

The National Archives house textual and microfilm records relating to genealogy, American Indians, pre-World War II military and naval-maritime matters, the New Deal, the District of Columbia, the Federal courts, and Congress.

The Nation Archives has prohibited all forms of video recording, photography, etc. since the rule has become harder to enforce, but one of the few times they lifted the ban was during the shooting of the film National Treasure, where everything was shot on the grounds of the Archive.

The Rotunda of the National Archives holds a copy of the 1297 Magna Carta confirmed by Edward I of England.

The National Archives are in possession of the Untied States Government's Charters of Freedom, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the records of the nation's civil, military and diplomatic activities.

The National Archives was incorporated in 1949 into the General Services Administration.

REVISION: Originally, each branch and agency of the U.S. government was responsible for maintaining its own documents, which often resulted in the loss and destruction of record.

There are five public vaults that lead to the history of how we got our freedom and records of the war and diplomacy.

In March 2006, it was revealed by the Archivist of the United States in a public hearing that the NARA and various government agencies existed to "reclassify", i.e., withdraw from public access, certain documents in the name of national security, and to do so in a manner such that researchers would not be likely to discover the process.

The doors on the National Archives Building are the biggest bronze doors in the world.

In the National Archives the public (visitors) can see different telegrams that President Lincoln sent to his many generals.