Records of Rights
Permanent Exhibit
Explore how generations of Americans sought to fulfill the promise of the founding documents.

Power & Light: Russell Lee's Coal Survey

Russell Lee’s 1946 coal survey photographs tell the story of laborers who helped build the nation, of a moment when the government took stock of their health and safety, and of a photographer who recognized their humanity.

Road to Revolution

Road to Revolution is a series of displays highlighting National Archives records that document the journey from colonial resistance to American independence and the diverse experiences of the nation’s founding generation.

Featured Document Display: North Atlantic Treaty

On April 4, 1949, representatives of the United States, Canada, and 10 Western European nations met in Washington, DC, to sign the North Atlantic Treaty—a mutual defense pact against possible aggression from the Soviet Union.