National Archives History
Before the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) was created in 1934, individual government agencies were in charge of maintaining their own records. Some took great care of the materials, but many did not.
When NARA staff members first began searching for old government files to catalog and store in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., they found many disorganized records that had been put away carelessly. In many cases, fire insects, heat, water, and sunlight had caused quite a bit of damage.
The National Archives and Records Administration became an independent Federal agency in 1985.
