Founded in 1934 as the National Archives, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) became an independent agency of the federal executive branch in 1985. At this museum in Washington, D.C., it displays the oringinal Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Maintaining other historically valuable records up to the recent past, NARA also manages the presidential libraries system and presents informational programs for the public.
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