ONE NATION
MANY STORIES

Join One Nation, Many Stories—the Campaign for the National Archives—to spark your curiosity, inspire discovery, and connect more Americans to our national story.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

ONE NATION MANY STORIES

Join One Nation, Many Stories, the Campaign for the National Archives to spark your curiosity, inspire discovery, and connect more Americans to our national story.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN
Chartering a New Path
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, America’s first constitution. However, by June, the delegates decided to scrap the Articles in favor of a new, more complete government charter. After heated debate, 38 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution in September 1787, which was later ratified in June 1788 and put into operation in March 1789. Creating a government of “We the People,” the U.S. Constitution remains one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

Archives Identifier: 1667751
From subjects of the Crown
America’s Founding Fathers were initially subjects of the British Crown under King George III. However, after increased abuses against the colonies with seemingly few rights granted in return, more colonists seriously considered cutting ties with Great Britain. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence, and two days later, the Declaration of Independence was ratified. The original Declaration, signed by 56 delegates of the Continental Congress in 1776, can be found today at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.

Archives Identifier: 7820669
Founding a Nation
America’s Founding Fathers were initially subjects of the British Crown under King George III. However, after increased abuses against the colonies with seemingly few rights granted in return, more colonists seriously considered cutting ties with Great Britain. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence, and two days later, the Declaration of Independence was ratified. The original Declaration, signed by 56 delegates of the Continental Congress in 1776, can be found today at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.

Archives Identifier: 7820669
To We the People
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, America’s first constitution. However, by June, the delegates decided to scrap the Articles in favor of a new, more complete government charter. After heated debate, 38 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution in September 1787, which was later ratified in June 1788 and put into operation in March 1789. Creating a government of “We the People,” the U.S. Constitution remains one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

Archives Identifier: 1667751

Democracy starts at the National Archives

From our Founding Documents—the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights—to over 40 billion records, artifacts, maps, photos, rolls of film, emails, patents, census records, and more, the National Archives preserves, protects, and shares the moments and milestones that have shaped America. 

These records reveal countless stories that bring history off the page and inspire more Americans to build toward a bright future for our democracy. Democracy takes all of us, so the stories that define our Union must never be forgotten. 

Donate today and help share these stories with citizens worldwide.

DONATE
A Right to Be Heard
The right to vote is fundamental to American democracy. Yet, in 1920, women became the last group of Americans to receive the right to vote nationwide after decades of activism, protest, and politicking. In May 1919, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 20th Amendment; the U.S. Senate passed it two weeks later. But ratification by 36 states was required, and the outcome hinged on one final state: Tennessee.

Archives Identifier: 594266
From Lady Liberty
Beginning in 1886, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants arriving in America. Fittingly, she was an immigrant herself after a long, complicated voyage from France. Today, 140 years later—despite wars, the Great Depression, 9/11, and other challenges—her golden torch still shines, a beacon of hope and freedom. Liberty: A Very Big Gift that keeps on giving.

Archives Identifier: 68145971
A Very Big Gift
Beginning in 1886, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants arriving in America. Fittingly, she was an immigrant herself after a long, complicated voyage from France. Today, 140 years later—despite wars, the Great Depression, 9/11, and other challenges—her golden torch still shines, a beacon of hope and freedom. Liberty: A Very Big Gift that keeps on giving.

Archives Identifier: 68145971
To liberating the vote
The right to vote is fundamental to American democracy. Yet, in 1920, women became the last group of Americans to receive the right to vote nationwide after decades of activism, protest, and politicking. In May 1919, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 20th Amendment; the U.S. Senate passed it two weeks later. But ratification by 36 states was required, and the outcome hinged on one final state: Tennessee.

Archives Identifier: 594266

Donate to help share our American stories

The Emancipation Proclamation. Thomas Edison’s lightbulb patent. Rosa Parks’s fingerprints. Your family’s census records. All of these and more are waiting to be discovered at the National Archives.  

When you support the National Archives Foundation—the nonprofit partner of the National Archives—your gift has an immediate impact and helps fund the thought-provoking exhibits and public programs, civics education initiatives, and celebrations that inform and spark the curiosity of Americans worldwide.

No matter your interest, find the opportunity that speaks to you and give today. 

Find Your Opportunity
She Had a Dream, Too
In August 1963, 250,000 protesters gathered peacefully at the Lincoln Memorial for what was then the largest protest in U.S. history: the March on Washington for Jobs and Equality. Among the throng was young Edith Lee Payne, a 12-year-old from Detroit. This iconic photo of Edith, taken by Rowland Scherman, represents the resolve and hope of those who witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. give his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The photo lives on in the National Archives, as does the legacy of Edith and the quarter-million people present at the Lincoln Memorial that day.

Archives Identifier: 542030
From The Proclamation
The Battle of Antietam was a turning point for the Union Army in the Civil War and gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation soon after. The Emancipation Proclamation decreed freedom for enslaved people in the Confederate states, demonstrating America’s continued commitment to achieving the nation’s founding ideals—that all men are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Archives Identifier: 527118
Standing Tall for Our Nation
The Battle of Antietam was a turning point for the Union Army in the Civil War and gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation soon after. The Emancipation Proclamation decreed freedom for enslaved people in the Confederate states, demonstrating America’s continued commitment to achieving the nation’s founding ideals—that all men are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Archives Identifier: 527118
To The March and beyond
In August 1963, 250,000 protesters gathered peacefully at the Lincoln Memorial for what was then the largest protest in U.S. history: the March on Washington for Jobs and Equality. Among the throng was young Edith Lee Payne, a 12-year-old from Detroit. This iconic photo of Edith, taken by Rowland Scherman, represents the resolve and hope of those who witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. give his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The photo lives on in the National Archives, as does the legacy of Edith and the quarter-million people present at the Lincoln Memorial that day.

Archives Identifier: 542030

History is not static

That’s why the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. is transforming its permanent exhibit galleries, education space, and theater to create a more welcoming and personalized experience for all visitors. The renovated spaces will mix original records with interactive technology—a first-of-its-kind in a history museum—to make our nation’s many stories more accessible and engaging for all ages and backgrounds. See a sneak peek of the reimagined museum spaces here, opening to the public in the Fall of 2025

Donate today to support this once-in-a-generation transformation.

DONATE
Terrorists Spoke. Heroes Answered.
September 11, 2001, remains one of the darkest days in American history, after Al Qaeda terrorists crashed four commercial planes and killed thousands. On the ground in New York and at the Pentagon, emergency responders raced to save lives— firefighters and medics, police officers, FBI agents, members of the U.S. armed forces and Federal Emergency Management Agency, and more. The terrorists succeeded in inflicting grave damage and killing many Americans. But they failed to break America’s spirit—a spirit immortalized and embodied by heroes who risked and gave their own lives to save and recover others.

Archives Identifier: 6640974
From raising the flag
Following the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II and pressed toward Japan’s Home Islands. On February 19, 1945, roughly 80,000 U.S. Marine and Navy forces set foot on Iwo Jima, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. The resolve of the American forces was caught in this iconic image early in the battle, as five Marines and one Navy corpsman raised a flag atop Mt. Suribachi, the island’s highest point. Today this image remains an iconic, enduring image of American resolve and military heroism.

Archives Identifier: 520748
Planting the Flag of Freedom
Following the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II and pressed toward Japan’s Home Islands. On February 19, 1945, roughly 80,000 U.S. Marine and Navy forces set foot on Iwo Jima, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. The resolve of the American forces was caught in this iconic image early in the battle, as five Marines and one Navy corpsman raised a flag atop Mt. Suribachi, the island’s highest point. Today this image remains an iconic, enduring image of American resolve and military heroism.

Archives Identifier: 520748
To heroes rising
September 11, 2001, remains one of the darkest days in American history, after Al Qaeda terrorists crashed four commercial planes and killed thousands. On the ground in New York and at the Pentagon, emergency responders raced to save lives— firefighters and medics, police officers, FBI agents, members of the U.S. armed forces and Federal Emergency Management Agency, and more. The terrorists succeeded in inflicting grave damage and killing many Americans. But they failed to break America’s spirit—a spirit immortalized and embodied by heroes who risked and gave their own lives to save and recover others.

Archives Identifier: 6640974

You, our donors, are our greatest storytellers.

The National Archives holds so many historical treasures still waiting to be rediscovered. Not only can you explore your own family background, the records tell the remarkable story of who we are as a nation, in all our rich complexity.

– Lucinda Robb,
Author and Philanthropist

“I give because there’s a real need to educate our next generation of leaders and voters on the historical legacy of this country. The Archives, from its insightful exhibits to thoughtful lectures, brings alive that educational foundation so essential for a robust democracy.”

– Denise Gwyn Ferguson, Abigail Adams Circle Donor

“The National Archives consistently uses innovative approaches in their exhibits that allow us to step inside historical moments and bring them to life. These exhibits tell the essential stories that impacted key decisions in history and the connection those decisions have on present times and our future as a nation.”

– Michelle Difebo Freeman, CEO of Carl M. Freeman Companies
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Space Race: Photo Finish
The Space Race was a decade-long sprint to outer space, and it had started with America far behind. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik (“fellow traveler”), a beach ball-sized satellite. An alarmed U.S. scrambled to catch up. Soon dogs, monkeys, and humans from both nations were rocketing into orbit. On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their famous first steps on the surface of the moon, while Armstrong’s crackling words—“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for all mankind”—electrified a worldwide audience.

Archives Identifier: 593743
From first flights
Man won’t fly in a thousand years.” That was Wilbur Wright’s glum prediction in 1901, when he and his brother Orville faced another failure. His prophecy—following a series of setbacks on the windy Atlantic coast near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina—proved wrong by 998 years. Their breakthrough happened December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk when the Wright “Flyer” took off into the air, covering 120 feet in 12 seconds at a dizzying seven miles per hour. John Daniels, a nearby coastal rescue station member, took this photo (his first photo!) that day of the Flyer’s takeoff. Although low and slow, the flight was world-changing—a revolution that launched the 20th century.

Archives Identifier: 7580929
The Wright Stuff
Man won’t fly in a thousand years.” That was Wilbur Wright’s glum prediction in 1901, when he and his brother Orville faced another failure. His prophecy—following a series of setbacks on the windy Atlantic coast near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina—proved wrong by 998 years. Their breakthrough happened December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk when the Wright “Flyer” took off into the air, covering 120 feet in 12 seconds at a dizzying seven miles per hour. John Daniels, a nearby coastal rescue station member, took this photo (his first photo!) that day of the Flyer’s takeoff. Although low and slow, the flight was world-changing—a revolution that launched the 20th century.

Archives Identifier: 7580929
To giant leaps
The Space Race was a decade-long sprint to outer space, and it had started with America far behind. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik (“fellow traveler”), a beach ball-sized satellite. An alarmed U.S. scrambled to catch up. Soon dogs, monkeys, and humans from both nations were rocketing into orbit. On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their famous first steps on the surface of the moon, while Armstrong’s crackling words—“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for all mankind”—electrified a worldwide audience.

Archives Identifier: 593743

Be a part of the next chapter of our American story.

With 2026 marking the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there’s never been a better time to reflect on how far we’ve come as a nation and to find your place in America’s history. 

From the heroic and inspiring, like veterans’ service records and medals of honor, to the unexpected, such as comic books, beer labels, and sports memorabilia, each record at the National Archives has a story to tell. Sign up for special editions of the National Archives Foundation newsletters to uncover more American stories and hear about exciting announcements, surprising insights, civics education resources, and more.

STAY CONNECTED

Be a part of the next chapter of our American story.

With 2026 marking the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there’s never been a better time to reflect on how far we’ve come as a nation and to find your place in America’s history. 

From the heroic and inspiring, like veterans’ service records and medals of honor, to the unexpected, such as comic books, beer labels, and sports memorabilia, each record at the National Archives has a story to tell. Sign up for special editions of the National Archives Foundation newsletters to uncover more American stories and hear about exciting announcements, surprising insights, civics education resources, and more.

STAY CONNECTED