We began this blog because we are hoping to talk with you about online public access to the nation’s historical records.
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) is the National Archives program that provides grants to projects that publish historical documents, partners with state and local government archives, and helps archives across the country preserve and make accessible millions of historical records.
We have awarded nearly 5,000 grants in the past 50 years to projects in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and the territories. Those grants have led to the publication of 300 documentary editions and digital collections, 3,000 archives preservation and access projects, and 170 newly-established repositories. Those records have helped researchers document family histories, write prize-winning biographies and histories, and influenced generations of school children.
Most recently, the NHPRC has taken giant steps into providing online access. Our award-winning site Founders Online (founders.archives.gov) has put at your fingertips over 185,000 transcribed documents from the papers of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison in a fully searchable web site.
We are still looking to the future and would like your input on how things are now and how you would love for them to be.
If you have suggestions for questions we should ask our researchers and the public, please send them to us at socialmedia@nara.gov.