National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a part of the US government that stores information of ongoing importance to the American people. The main National Archives building, dating to the 1930s, is located in Washington, DC. However, NARA also operates more than forty other facilities across the country. Together, these facilities hold billions of documents, maps, photographs, public records, and other items covering American history since 1775. NARA was founded on the concept that, in a democracy, public records should be available to all citizens. Some of the most famous items in the NARA collections are foundational American documents, including the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

Background

Since the earliest days of the United States, government leaders expressed concern about the safekeeping of their records. In 1791, Thomas Jefferson said that the passage of time and various sorts of accidental mishandling regularly destroyed original records stored in government offices. Since Jefferson, many other officials have pushed for a more serious and standardized means of storing important political and national documents and artifacts. However, the first true effort to accomplish this goal did not begin until the early 1930s. At that time, architect John Russell Pope undertook the task of creating a grand library for the country’s most cherished items. In 1931, designers selected a spot for the new building in Washington, DC, close to other iconic landmarks such as the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, and the Treasury Building. In 1933, President Herbert Hoover ceremonially set the cornerstone of the new building. The following year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the project completed.

In 1935, the National Archives officially began its work. Thousands of diverse items poured into the archives. The original National Archives building was completely filled by the end of the 1960s, but new acquisitions showed no sign of slowing. For that reason, workers began transporting many items to temporary storage locations while architects set about creating new facilities.

The first major addition to the National Archives was a secondary building in College Park, Maryland. With six stories and about two million cubic feet of storage space, this building greatly relieved pressure on the original facility. Almost four hundred people could use the building at the same time. Still, this did not meet the constantly increasing need for storage space. Over time, the National Archives system opened additional locations in seventeen states across the country. This process not only helped to relieve the storage problem, but also made important materials available to more people across a wider area.

Overview

The National Archives and Records Administration is a part of the government tasked with storing important national information. Its website calls it “the nation’s record keeper.” Government officials felt that the national archives system was essential for a democracy because the documents and other records belong to the people. These records are important to outlining and protecting citizen rights and responsibilities. They may also be crucially important to American history and culture, or the stories of the diverse individuals and groups within America. Americans can access these nationally shared items through the National Archives.

The original main task of NARA is to handle government documents. From its earliest days, the US government has created an enormous written legacy. With the expansion of the government and new forms of communication, this amount of documentation has increased exponentially in modern times. NARA experts are tasked with sorting this huge influx of information and choosing to store what they believe will have lasting value to the American people. Experts pick items deemed to reflect the major functions of the government or capture details and data that researchers will seek in the future.

Although this most important information generally only makes up about 2 to 5 percent of the overall amount, the cumulative collection is enormous. NARA includes about ten billion pages of records, more than twenty-five million drawings and photos, twelve million maps, and more than four hundred thousand film and audio recordings. With the advent of the digital age, NARA also collected a tremendous library of digital records, many of which are part of the Electronic Records Archives branch of the National Archives. Experts feel this is the most efficient way to ensure that massive quantities of material can exist for future researchers. By June 2024, all federal records were required to be created, retained, and managed in a digital format, which required cybersecurity upgrades. The National Security Archive and the National Coalition For History called for a substantial budget increase to improve user experience and ensure the security of historical data.

Among these materials, some stand out for their great fame and importance. NARA is entrusted with the Declaration of Independence, the document that stated the intention of the country’s Founding Fathers to break away from Britain. NARA also holds the Constitution, the founding document of the country, and the Bill of Rights. Some other notable items include the documents for the Louisiana Purchase, treaties with Native American groups, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and the documents signed by Japanese leaders during their surrender at the end of World War II. These documents date from 1775 to the present.

NARA does not only handle items of national renown. The Archives system is also entrusted with a huge amount of public records. These include naturalization documents for people immigrating to the United States and military records for members of the armed forces who have served the country. Many people visit NARA facilities not only to learn about the country, but also to explore their own personal and family histories.

The size and scope of the collection has necessitated many NARA facilities around the country. Beyond the first and main archive building in Washington, DC, the National Archives system encompasses more than forty buildings in seventeen states. These include the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Office of Government Information Services, Federal Records Centers, Information Security Oversight Office, Federal Register, various presidential libraries, and smaller archival facilities of varied sizes and specialties.

Bibliography

“About the Archives.” National Archives Foundation, archivesfoundation.org/about-the-archives. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

“About the National Archives of the United States.” National Archives, 30 Dec. 2024, www.archives.gov/publications/general-info-leaflets/1-about-archives.html. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

“National Archives and Records Administration.” Federal Register, www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-archives-and-records-administration. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

“National Archives and Records Administration.” United States House of Representatives, www.house.gov/the-house-explained/legislative-branch-partners/national-archives. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

“National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).” USA.gov, www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/national-archives-and-records-administration. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

“National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).” USASpending.gov, 30 Sept. 2024, www.usaspending.gov/agency/925. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

“National Archives History.” National Archives, 24 July 2024, www.archives.gov/about/history. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.