National Archives Washington DC – See Historical United States Documents
The National Archives Washington DC is a great visit to view all of the Nation’s Historical Documents, and re-live moments in History.
Our Children really enjoyed our visit to the National Archives in Washington DC. Our visit was prompted by the movie ‘National Treasure’. This helped to spur the interest from the children – of course. And, we strongly believe in incorporating history into our trips!
Democracy Starts Here
Democracy starts here. This is the long-standing motto of the National Archives Washington DC. The National Archives and Records Administration or NARA is an agency of the United States government. It is dedicated to contain, sustain, authenticate and record both governmental and historical records. That way, the public can easily access the documents that they need.
National Archives & Records is the sole and legit source of authenticated and authoritative copies of executive orders and documents. NARA also maintains acts of Congress and presidential proclamations. National Archives & Records also publish federal regulations.
Before the National Archives & Records became an independent agency, it was a part of the General Services Administration. NARA does not only preserve and document paper records. It also preserves pictures, videos. These are all properly compiled and classified according to record groups to avoid confusion and loss of the documents.
Anyone who needs to research governmental, historical and even genealogical documents can visit the National Archives Washington DC. It is located at the north area of the National Mall on Constitution Avenue.
National Archives Washington DC Facts
The following are some facts about NARA that everyone needs to know.
Military Records
Aside from the documents and records mentioned above, National Archives & Records also preserves public records of American citizens such as military records and records of immigrants.
Other Locations
Although NARA’s main building is located at Washington, DC there are National Archive locations in other states to serve everyone in the US. For those who are hesitant or not sure where to go, you can visit the National Archives & Records’ official website at https://www.archives.gov to verify the other locations of National Archives.
Billions of Documents
NARA holds billions of paper documents, photos and even maps that are stored, preserved and maintained at the different National Archives locations. You can try locating these documents at the online archives rooms of the agency.
Research Project
Starting a research project like your family’s genealogy can be tough, especially if you don’t have the necessary papers to start with. The Genealogy Resources for Family Historians in the National Archives and Records Administration can help you with your research. The agency’s website will even give step by step instructions on how to do your research. All divisions and classifications of NARA have easy to follow directions to easily help.
Online Research Too
For online research, you can choose from the Archival Research Catalog, Archival Databases, Federal Records Guide, Microfilm Catalog, List of Research Topics. In addition, Published Research Aids, Research Aids for Regional Holdings, and Archives Library Information Center categories.
Looking for an Internship?
The National Archives & Records is also open for jobs, internships, volunteers and even grants and scholarships.