National Archives at New York City

Be It Remembered: Treaties with Native Nations

On Monday, September 24, 2018, the National Archives at New York City unveils a new facsimile exhibit, “Be it Remembered: Treaties with Native Nations,” in the lower level of the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at One Bowling Green in lower Manhattan.

This exhibit builds upon the strong partnership between the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Museum of the American Indian that was established for the Washington, DC, exhibition “Nation to Nation: Treaties between the United States and American Indian Nations.” Both agencies have buildings along the National Mall in Washington, DC, and facilities at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City.

“Be It Remembered” offers visitors an opportunity to view select facsimiles of treaties related to New York and the important history preserved through the documents. These records are part of the 377 Ratified Indian Treaties and accompanying papers from our vault holdings in the National Archives Building in Washington. All of these treaties are now being digitized and receiving conservation work thanks to the generous support from an anonymous donor and the National Archives Foundation.

Featured documents include:

Treaty with the Delaware, 1778

Muscogee Treaty, 1790

Treaty of Canandaigua, 1794  

Legally binding and still in effect, federal treaties today are meaningful sources of rights for Native people. Once the treaties have been conserved and digitized, they will be made accessible through the online National Archives Catalog. Supporting educational materials are also being developed through the new Native Communities educational series, which provides web-based research aids, programs, and hands-on projects relating to interactions between the Federal Government and Native People from every corner of the U.S. from the 19th century until today.

 

About the National Archives at New York City

The National Archives at New York City maintains the historically significant records of federal agencies and courts in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, dating from 1685 to the present. It also holds select microfilm publications of the National Archives and provides access to a variety of online historical resources. Since 2012, the National Archives at New York City has been located on the third floor of this historic building. For more information about the National Archives at New York City, visit: www.archives.gov/nyc

 

About the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House

Designed by Cass Gilbert, and completed in 1907, the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City sits at the tip of Bowling Green park. This Beaux-Arts masterpiece was built to house New York’s Federal Custom Service, which assessed and collected duties and taxes on imported goods in one of the nation’s most prosperous ports. The building which is open to the public, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is also designated as a National Historic Landmark, and both public and interior spaces are landmarked according to New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission.

 

 

 

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