Last Chance to Vote for America's Top Documents
Press Release · Thursday, November 20, 2003

Washington, DC

Press Release
November 20, 2003

Last Chance to Vote for America's Top Documents

Washington, DC. . . Monday, December 1 is the final day of voting in the national civics initiative sponsored by the National Archives, in partnership with National History Day and U.S. News & World Report. You don't have to be 18 to have your vote count in The People's Vote: 100 Documents That Shaped America. The program encourages Americans of all ages and educational backgrounds to vote for 10 documents from the list of 100 milestones chosen by historians and the National Archives.

At a special ceremony on September 17, 2003, with President George W. Bush, the Archivist of the United States, John W. Carlin, officially launched The People's Vote: 100 Documents That Shaped America, a national challenge to engage Americans in a lively and thoughtful debate about which documents in American history are the most influential-which changed the course of history, shaped the United States, and defined us as a people.

The People's Vote is part of a larger project created by the National Archives and National History Day in collaboration with USA Freedom Corps titled Our Documents: A National Initiative on American History, Civics and Service. The purpose of this initiative is to provide programs like The People's Vote to engage Americans in a better understanding of the documents that shaped our country. For more information on Our Documents, go to www.ourdocuments.gov.

By logging onto www.usnews.com/vote Americans can see the original 100 milestone documents, ranging from the U.S. Constitution to the cancelled check for the purchase of Alaska; and learn more about each of the 100 documents identified by experts at the National Archives. After making their selections Americans will be able to cast their ballot online. Voting kiosks are located at the National Archives, Presidential libraries and regional archives nationwide.

The results of The People's Vote will be revealed on Bill of Rights Day, December 15, in a ceremony hosted by the Archivist of the United States John W. Carlin in the National Archives Rotunda at 9 AM. The ceremony will be open to the public.

For press information contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff at 301-837-1700.

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