National Archives

Since we have been discussing the ratification of the Constitution and Madison’s the Federalist No. 10, I thought it was appropriate to go and visit the National Archives and view some of the documents we have been discussing. Although the Archive is home to many interesting exhibits, I was most deeply impacted by the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, which houses a number of original documents such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Hart-Cellar Act. The Magna Carta is also in a nearby hall. The architecture and art of the Rotunda is impressive and beautiful, and the preservation techniques are fascinating; the documents are kept in climate controlled cases and lit by special lights. Since the lighting in the rooms is minimal, the end result is that the documents appear to glow gold. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the building.

Also in the Rotunda was one of the drafts of the Articles of the Confederation. Interestingly, this draft contains handwritten notes, one of which suggests an article asserting the sovereignty and independence of the individual states. This relates directly back to the Federalist No. 10, in which Madison argues for the ratification of the Constitution by suggesting that individual states do not have the same ability to quell factions and promote the good of the public as a unified central government would.

It was also interesting to see the Hart-Cellar Act, without which the cultural diversity of this country would not be what it is today, and Linsey and I would not have been able to visit Chinatown the day before (see earlier blog post).
-K.S.