NARA Through the Decades

“The ties that bind the lives of our people in one indissoluble union are perpetuated in the archives of our government and to their custody this building is dedicated.” Inscribed on the south side of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.

These words — like the people who visit in person or online, the records preserved, and the research engaged at our nation wide network of facilities — reveal the important facets of the mission of the National Archives. The following images reveal both the everyday activities and great moments in history that have occurred at the National Archives and its nationwide network of Presidential libraries, regional archives, Federal records centers, and the Federal Register over the past 75 years.