National Archives' 2004 Activities at a Glance
Press Release · Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Washington, DC

Press Release
January 14, 2004

National Archives 2004 Activities at a Glance

Washington, DC. . . The following is a list of activities and openings at the National Archives during 2004. They are all free and open to the public and take place at the National Archives Building, located at Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Street, NW. Hours are: 10 AM to 5:30 PM through March 31; 10 AM to 7 PM April 1 through the Friday before Memorial Day; 10 AM to 9 PM Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. National Archives exhibitions are open every day except Christmas. For updated information call 202-501-5000 or visit www.archives.gov

• Charters of Freedom: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are on permanent display. Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.
  
  
• The Charters of Freedom-'A New World is at Hand': Presents a selection of milestone documents chronicling the creation of the Charters of Freedom in the 18th century and their impact on the course of history in the United States and around the world. Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. Indefinitely.
  
  
• The People's Vote: The exhibition features the documents voted as the most influential in U.S. history in a vote sponsored by the National Archives, U.S. News & World Report, and National History Day. Among the documents featured are the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery, the Civil Rights Act, and the Social Security Act. For one day only on Monday, January 19, the original Emancipation Proclamation will be displayed. Special Exhibition Gallery. Through March 5, 2004.
  
  
• The Treaty of Kanagawa: To mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the first treaty between any Western nation and Japan, the National Archives will display all four original language versions of the Treaty of Kanagawa (English, Japanese, Dutch and Chinese), as well as handwritten journals and notes of Commodore Matthew Perry, the naval commander who led the mission to Japan. Special Exhibition Gallery. March 27 through September 6, 2004.
  
  
• Independence Day Celebration: The National Archives will celebrate the 228th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence with its traditional Fourth of July dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence and other family activities. Constitution Avenue Steps. 10 AM, July 4, 2004.
  
  
• The Public Vaults: A new permanent exhibition combining original documents with interactive exhibits opens the world of America's records to the general public. November 13.
  
  
• Bill of Rights Day: The National Archives continues its popular tradition of holding a naturalization ceremony for petitioners seeking United States citizenship. Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. 10 AM, December 15, 2004.

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

04-29