Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Congress established the National Archives in 1934 to preserve and care for the records of the U.S. government. Previously, federal records were kept in various basements, attics and abandoned buildings with little security or concern for storage conditions. In 1935, Archives staff and WPA workers began to survey federal records, and the next year the first batch of federal records were transferred to the new National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Today, the National Archives has over 40 facilities nationwide. Please join former Archivist David S. Ferriero and historian H.W. Brands to learn more about what the Archivist does and why it is so vital to our democracy.
Congress established the National Archives in 1934 to preserve and care for the records of the U.S. government. Previously, federal records were kept in various basements, attics and abandoned buildings with little security or concern for storage conditions. In 1935, Archives staff and WPA workers began to survey federal records, and the next year the first batch of federal records were transferred to the new National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Today, the National Archives has over 40 facilities nationwide. Please join former Archivist David S. Ferriero and historian H.W. Brands to learn more about what the Archivist does and why it is so vital to our democracy.
