About the National Archives of the United States
Anyone who has cleaned out a family attic knows the importance of keeping family records. You may have military records from relatives who served in one of the World Wars—or even the Civil War. Or pictures of your great-great grandparents on the day they became American citizens. Or the canceled check that paid for your first home. Now imagine the task of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—the nation’s record keeper.