The National Archives Building: Home to the Charters of Freedom
Home to the original United States Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., houses some of the most important political and social documents from modern human history.
Part of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), an independent agency of the federal government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records, the National Archives includes not just the public building along the National Mall in downtown Washington, but regional facilities across the country as well as virtually all the presidential libraries from the past 100 years. The building on the National Mall was opened in 1935.
The Archivist of the United States, currently David Ferriero of New York, maintains the official documentation of amendments to the U.S. Constitution enacted by state legislatures, and he holds the legal authority to declare when the constitutional threshold for passage has been reached, and therefore when an act has become an amendment.
Although the most famous documents held by the National Archives are the Constitution and Declaration, many of NARA's most requested records are frequently used for research in genealogy. This includes census records from 1790 to 1930, as well as ships passenger lists and naturalization records.
The National Archives Building also exhibits other important American historical documents such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as collections of photography and other historically and culturally significant American artifacts.
The Archives building also hosts a copy of the 1297 Magna Carta confirmed by Britain’s King Edward I. These are displayed to the public in the main chamber of the National Archives, which is called the “Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.”
Flash photography of the documents is prohibited, because over time flashes can fade the documents. There are no lines to see individual documents (although there is a line to reach the rotunda itself) at the National Archives, and visitors are allowed to walk from document to document as they wish. Check the National Archives web site for special exhibitions and any restrictions in visiting hours.
Posted by Jim Brown
