The+National+Archives

Monica Salazar: ** The National Archives and Records Administration ** The National Archives and Records Administration, currently located in Washington D.C., stores and offers public access to the original documents that set up the American government as a democracy since 1774. It houses both textual and microfilm records relating to the history of America. The museum is made up of the main building in Washington D.C., a facility at College Park, Maryland, twelve presidential libraries, twenty-two record facilities spread around the country. The National Archives’ main building is located at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Washington D.C., between 7th and 9th S treets (north of the National Mall on Constitution Avenue). The whole building took over four years to complete before finally opening its doors in 1935, after Congress established the museum to centralize federal record keeping and appointed the Archivist of the US as its chief Administrator. The museum’s building was designed by the prominent architect John Russell Pope, displaying a neoclassical style. In 1949, the museum was incorporated into the General Services Administration, however, it was made into an independent agency known as NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) in 1985. The original building, known as Archives I, was added a second facility, known as Archives II, because of space constraints in 1994. This second facility ended up being in proximity with the University of Maryland, because of this NARA and the University participates in an interdependent relationship. All videotaping and/or photographing have been prohibited since February 25, 2010. The museum has numerous exhibitions, but the main feature would be the National Archives Experience (created in 2003). It forms part of the museum’s main highlights as an educational presentation of a journey through the whole museum. The National Archives Experience contains six exhibits, such as the Charters of Freedom, which includes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, placed in the National Archives Rotunda as the centerpiece of the journey. The Public Vaults, a permanent exhibition that explores documents from the earliest Native American treaties to modern Presidential Web Sites, and the Learning Center that works to engage children to learn about the country’s fascinating history, from part of the journey as well. The William G. McGowan Theater is also part of the Experience. During the day it repeatedly shows a short film about the museum, and two daily films about the Charters of Freedom. At night, it display s documentary films about the important issues of the American history. The Special Exhibition Gallery and Internet, recreates the Experience into a website mainly directed to those who cannot visit the museum form part of the National Archives Experience, too. The National Archives and Records Administration gives you the chance to take a journey through time and explore the highlights of the struggles and triumphs that make up the American history. All through over one thousand records (most original, however, some reproductions of the originals) that the museum carefully fosters. I had already known about the National Archives and that it houses the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Nevertheless, this project gave me a lot to know about the museum that I had no idea about. I was very interested in the museum because of all the documents it holds and the fact that it provides public access to them. That’s why I chose it as one of my MLA sites, because I wanted to know more about it. Now that I do, I would like to visit it sometime.

**Works Cited ** "Background Information about the National Archives Experience." //National Archives and Records Administration//. The National Archives and Record Administration. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. < http://www.archives.gov/press/press-kits/nae/>. Cooper, Rachel. "National Archives - Washington, DC." //Washington DC - A Guide to Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia//. The New York Times Company. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. < http://dc.about.com/cs/museums/a/NationalArchive.htm>. Hart, Karen. "The National Archives - Washington, DC." //Washington DC Travel - Info for Travel to Washington, DC//. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. < http://godc.about.com/od/museums/qt/natarchives_RO.htm>. "History of the National Archives Building." //National Archives and Records Administration//. The National Archives and Record Administration. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. < http://www.archives.gov/about/history/building-an-archives/building.html>. Longley, Robert. "National Archives and Records Administration – About the US National Archives and Records Administration." //U.S. Government Info - Resources//. The New York Times Company. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. < http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/historicdocuments/a/aboutnara.htm>. "National Archives and Records Administration (U.S.)." //Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia//. 28 June 2008. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. < http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/National_Archives_and_Records_Administratio>.