Chartering Freedom
For more than 250 years, generations of Americans have championed the pursuit of freedom that has brought the nation closer to its revolutionary ideals
The Declaration (1936) by Barry Faulkner U.S. National Archives
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."–Abraham Lincoln, 1863
William J. Stone Copperplate Engraving of the Declaration of Independence (1823) U.S. National Archives
Preserving the Declaration of Independence
The original text of the Declaration of Independence began fading less than 50 years after it was signed by the nation’s founders. In 1820, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams hired William J. Stone to make this engraving reproducing the original.
While much of the Declaration's handwriting is lost, prints made from Stone’s copperplate give us the best idea of what the document originally looked like. The text on the engraving is reversed so it will print correctly.
Fulfilling a revolutionary promise
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious areas “are, and henceforward shall be free.”
While the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation, it fundamentally changed the Civil War and strengthened the Union cause both militarily and politically.
As a critical milestone in slavery’s final destruction, the Emancipation Proclamation is one of the great documents of human freedom.
Signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (1964-07-02) by LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton U.S. National Archives
Protecting race, color, religion, national origin, and sex
When it became law, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most sweeping civil rights legislation passed since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.
The act prohibits discrimination in the workplace and public places, and strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and school desegregation. It also became a milestone for gender equality when "sex" was added to the original bill (shown here) as a protected group along with race, color, religion, and national origin.
Photograph of President George W. Bush Viewing the Emancipation Proclamation During a Visit to the National Archives on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (2006-01-16) by Photographs from the National Archives U.S. National Archives
Your turn to witness
History proves that freedom must be constantly championed. These records document a centuries-long pursuit of a more perfect union. We invite you to explore the National Archives and discover the stories of those who stood for liberty to ensure the promise of freedom lives on with you.
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