Milestone Documents

Established in 1934, the National Archives was created by President Franklin Roosevelt to "capture the sweep of the past." It holds important documents including the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, and items like military records and naturalization records. Federal records that are stored are "judged to have continuing value."

The National Archives created the Milestone Documents collection to "highlight pivotal moments in American history." It holds the most popular documents in the National Archives. Learn about some of these important documents below!

As the creation of the Constitution was highly debated regarding what all it would detail, colonists wanted to ensure their civil rights would be protected. They wanted to prevent the same issues they ran from in Britain, so they demanded a "bill of rights," which were the first ten amendments of the Constituion. After the ratification of various amendments, the Bill of Rights was finalized in 1791. The most known amendments include:

In President James Monroe's 1823 message to Congress, he warned European powers not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere in the Monroe Doctrine. The doctrine "warned European nations that the United States would not tolerate further colonization or puppet monarchs." This has become one of the best known U.S. foreign policies and has became highly debated in what it's true purpose was. The Monroe Doctrine still plays a role in policymaking today.

In the 1870s, railroad monopolies, which "obstruct the free competition that determines the price and quality of products and services offered," were becoming harmful for Americans. After some political action against them, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act. The Act set guidelines as to how railroads could do business. It required "just and reasonable rate changes," "prohibited special rates or rebates for individual shippers," and established a Interstate Commerce Commission. The Commission was the beginning of Congress regulating private corporations.

The Birmingham Campaign was organized in 1963 by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Once the campaign had less adults available, students became the main demonstrators. As they walked to City Hall to discuss segregation, thousands were arrested and were attached with dogs and high-pressure water hoses. After the Birmingham Campaign ended, the nonviolent protest paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.