National Archives

Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever.

Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you.

The National Archives Building in Washington, DC (Archives I), houses textual and microfilm records relating to:

* Genealogy
* American Indians
* The District of Columbia
* Federal courts from the District of Columbia
* Congress
* Maritime matters
* Pre-World War I Army
* Pre-World War II Navy

The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in downtown Washington, DC, contains the permanent exhibit of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. The Public Vaults displays over 1,000 fascinating records (originals or reproductions) from the National Archives holdings.