National Archives

Colleen Shogan Confirmed as First Woman Archivist of the United States

"Shogan recently served as director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History and senior vice president of the White House Historical Association."

One Reason to Confirm National Archivist Fast? Sending Out Veterans' Benefits

While controversies around classified materials and Trump administration records dog Colleen Shogan's nomination, she recently pledged to make a priority of granting veterans access to the records they need to claim legally entitled benefits. 

Biden, National Archives Sued for Delayed Release of JFK Assassination Records

Although the decision to delay a Congressionally-mandated release should not be taken as proof of any assassination conspiracy theories, historians argue the documents are necessary to fully understand a tumultuous period in the nation's history. 

The National Archives' Work to Recover Stolen History

Donald Trump wouldn't be the first person to face legal jeopardy for holding materials that belong to the national archives. 

What's Behind Trump's Defiance of the National Archives (and the Law?)

The civil servants working to preserve and secure government records have faced threats and harassment since the National Archives brought the FBI into its efforts to get the former president to comply with the law and return public documents. 

Republicans Expected to Grill Biden's National Archivist Nominee in Retaliation for Mar-A-Lago Warrant

Despite the fact that she currently leads the White House Historical Association and has no connection to the National Archives, Colleen Shogan can expect a tough nomination fight as Senate Republicans pick up Donald Trump's grudge over the enforcement of presidential records law. 

30-Year Flatline in NARA Budget Threatens Research, Transparency

Chronic underfunding, combined with successive administrations' disdain for transparency, means that Freedom of Information Act requests are likely to languish for years before being fulfilled. It's long overdue to fund the National Archives for the public good. 

"He Never Stopped Ripping Things Up": Trump's Habitual Document Destruction

Donald Trump's personal defiance of the Presidential Records Act appears to have been widespread, purposeful, and illegal. 

National Archive Had to Retrieve White House Records from Mar-a-Lago

In an odd twist that no one could have seen coming, the Trump administration appears to have violated legal requirements for the preservation and security of presidential records. 

Trump, Defying Custom, Hasn’t Given the National Archives Records of His Speeches at Political Rallies

by Shannon Bow O'Brien

"Until President Trump, there have been no missing public speeches in the permanent collection. By removing these speeches, Trump is creating a false perception of his presidency, making it look more serious and traditional."

Will Trump Burn the Evidence?

by Jill Lepore

Reckoning with the Trump adminstration's actions and assigning moral or criminal sanction to any misdeeds will probably be compromised by the destruction or failure to maintain presidential records. 

Why You May Never Learn the Truth About ICE

by Matthew Connelly

The National Archives is letting millions of documents, including many related to immigrants’ rights, be destroyed or deleted.

It wasn’t just the National Archives. The Library of Congress also balked at a Women’s March photo.

The library’s decision is the second-known instance of a federal government institution acting to prevent images it determined to be critical of Trump from being shown to the public. 

How the National Archives’ Notorious Alteration of a Women’s March Photo Is Part of a Long American Tradition

by Jennifer Tucker & Peter Rutland

Two professors explain how the image fits into the history of a country that has long sought to avoid discomfort.

How the National Archives’ Notorious Alteration of a Women’s March Photo Is Part of a Long American Tradition

by Jennifer Tucker & Peter Rutland

Two professors explain how the image fits into the history of a country that has long sought to avoid discomfort.

AHA Sends Letter to NARA Archivist about Altered Women's March Photo

The AHA sent the following letter to the Archivist of the United States objecting to the alteration of a photograph on exhibition and praising NARA staff for acknowledging this serious lapse in judgement.

The National Archives' dangerous corruption of history

by David Perry

While the National Archives issued an apology and vowed to undergo "a thorough review" of its policies after the Washington Post first reported on the alteration, having discovered it by chance, as a historian I worry about how many other altered documents the Trump administration has buried in our records. Will we ever know?

National Archives says it was wrong to alter images

“This photo is not an archival record held by the @usnatarchives, but one we licensed to use as a promotional graphic,” it said in another tweet. “Nonetheless, we were wrong to alter the image.”

National Archives exhibit blurs images critical of President Trump

A placard that proclaims “God Hates Trump” has “Trump” blotted out so that it reads “God Hates.” A sign that reads “Trump & GOP — Hands Off Women” has the word Trump blurred out.

Making Access Happen: NARA’s Leadership in the Digital Decade

by David Ferriero

Ferriero discusses how the National Archives has advanced their digital access for their records through collaboration, innovation, and learning.