Step through the doors of this majestic neoclassical building, often called a temple to American history. Follow your guide into the National Archives Rotunda to learn about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution while standing before these remarkably preserved documents. Alongside the Bill of Rights and Federalist Papers, you’ll see signatures from famous statesmen such as Alexander Hamilton. Next, explore the Public Vaults Exhibits, where letters from presidents including George Washington and John F. Kennedy are on display. Learn about the Emancipation Proclamation and its role in ending slavery, then see documents connected to the Civil Rights Movement, including a citation issued to Rosa Parks. Finally, in the Rubenstein Gallery, examine the 1297 Magna Carta. Written centuries before the founding of the United States, it profoundly influenced many of the historic documents housed in the National Archives today.