The Importance of the National Archives

The National Archives, hundreds of years old, is an important source of information for national records ranging from historical moments to family records.

America's citizens like Beverly Woods could find military records, immigration records, and family records on her great-grandfather. This helped her to discover part of her family's past.

Notable historical records stored in the National Archives include the internment of Japanese San Franciscans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Survivors of the Japanese internment were able to sue the American government for consolation using information from these records.

The existence of the National Archives could also discourage influential people from lying or getting their information wrong.

The National Archives are open to everyone, like the one in Burlingame. Admission is free, but it would be a good idea to take the time out to plan your visit. National Archives sites also hold some public programs.

There is the Regional Archives in San Francisco where federal records on northern and central California, Nevada (except Clark County), Hawaii, American Samoa and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

The Foundation for the National Archives ally with the National Archives to create the National Archives Experience.

For more information, visit the National Archives website.

Sources: Discovery Channel, National Archives website
Photo source: National Archives

By Julien G. (notes and title)
Brigette W. (summary)

Visiting the National Archives Nearby

Did you know that there is a National Archive near Hillwood Academic Day School? Most people think that there are only national archives in Washington, D.C., but that is not true. In fact, if you are in a car, there is an archive only 20 or 30 minutes away in San Bruno.

At the archive, you can do a lot of digging. You can find your roots or learn about San Francisco's history, such as the earthquakes and fires. But you will have to make an appointment and go with an adult or your teacher. You have to ask to see anything and the archivists, who are like librarians, will bring you one thing at a time. These things are usually in boxes or big folders, and they are old. You have to be careful with them, and they are not the type of documents that you might expect. They are usually letters and personal things that people owned. There are also a lot of old newspapers.

Anybody can go to the archive, and there were a lot of people there.