Cool Site: National Archives

By Martie Hevia | Blue Beach Song™

“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.

Okay, I will admit that I am a bit of a history geek – I love history… and all things history-related. I am fascinated with historic buildings, sites, documents, letters, books, and especially everyday-people with their own fascinating histories. And one of the greatest tools people like me have is the Internet, which spares us from weekends deep in the archival caves of libraries. (Instead, we can bury our heads in our laptops out in the open fresh air after hiking up a mountain or finding a remote spot on a cold foggy beach. So much better! Right? No, I’m serious, so much better.)

So right up there on my list of Cool Sites is the National Archives: Historical Documents website. Do you want to see the Declaration of Independence? The Constitution of the United States? The Bill of Rights? Sure, you would expect to find those documents and more. But, how about the Abolition of Slavery? The Apollo 11 Flight Plan? A letter from Jackie Robinson to President Eisenhower? Thomas Edison’s Light Bulb Patent? Yes, all of these documents are there as well, and much, much more.

What about those everyday-people with fascinating histories? Well, the National Archives gathers its records from all branches of government so they actually have great tools and advice for genealogists and family historians. Some of the tools that may be useful for researching individuals and family histories incude:

The National Archives is definitely worth a trip through cyberspace. The opportunity to explore our country’s history by reading original documents, looking at source materials, and  metaphorically flipping through an amazing photo collection is priceless. At the very least, it might be something interesting to do on a rainy weekend, if you are not quite a history geek like me, and while you are there visiting, wish them a happy 75th Anniversary.

Martie Hevia © 2009 | All Rights Reserved