National Archives and Records Administration

What is the National Archives and Records Administration?

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that is primarily responsible for preserving and documenting government, as well as, historical records, to provide increased public access to such documents. The majority of documents published and preserved by the National Archives and Records Administration are authentic and authoritative acts of Congress, executive orders, presidential proclamations and various federal regulations.

The chief administrator of the National Archives and Records Administration, known as the Archivist of the United States, not only maintains the official documentation of the passage of all amendments to the United States Constitution by state legislatures, but also possesses the authority to declare when the constitutional threshold for such passages has been reached. As a result of this power, the head of the National Archives and Records Administration is responsible for affirming when an act becomes an official amendment.

The National Archives and Records Administration, is in essence, a library for the United States Federal Government. It’s primary building, the National Archives Building, which is located in downtown Washington D.C. in the national mall, holds thousands of records and collections such as all existing federal census records, all passenger lists from various United States’ ships, military unit records from all wars, including the Revolutionary War, records of the Confederate government, various pension and land records and documents detailing seeming all records of the aforementioned government initiatives and maneuvers.

Basic Information regarding the National Archives and Records Administration:

The National Archives and Records Administration was formed in 1934; it is an independent government agency that used to be called the national Archives and Records Service. The National Archives and Records Administration possesses jurisdiction over the Federal Government of the United States of America; the agency is located at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue in the northwestern section of Washington, D.C. The agency employees roughly 2,500 people to preserve and publish various documents associated with the United States Federal Government. The current archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration is David Ferriero; the deputy archivist is Adrienne Thomas.