Focus on
The mysterious Baltimore copy of the US Declaration of Independence
We hold an original version of the Declaration that is completely unique: the only known copy attributed to John Dunlap’s shop in Baltimore.
Stories from the collection
Discover the stories behind the collection. Learn about the people, places and events featured in our records.
The American Revolution
From the loyalists to the revolutionaries, the Founding Fathers to the Declaration of Independence, read stories from our current exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
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The story of
Ann Nevil: 'The most Notorious Malafactor Imaginable'
Ann Nevil's story is one of many extraordinary people whose lives were changed forever during the American Revolution.
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Focus on
Anglo-Indigenous diplomacy in colonial North America
Our records offer unique insight into the careful diplomacy that took place in North America during the 18th century.
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Record revealed
Adrienne de Lafayette’s letter to her husband, Marquis de Lafayette
This previously unknown letter from Adrienne de Lafayette reveals her unfailing love for her husband.
Discover all stories
Browse and explore the human stories behind The National Archives’ collection.
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Record revealed
Cabinet meeting minutes, 11 November 1918
NewThrough this record, we can discover how the end of The First World War was announced to the British public.
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The story of
The Imperial Conference 1926 and the origins of the Commonwealth of Nations
NewExplore the transformation in Britain’s relations with parts of its Empire following the First World War, and the impact on the formation of the Commonwealth.
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Record revealed
Planning the Jarrow Crusade
In October 1936, 200 unemployed men marched in protest to parliament from Jarrow in the northeast of England. This record details their journey.
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Focus on
Remembering Thomas Parker: The homeless veteran whose prison death in 1933 led to the reform of the Vagrancy Act
NewThomas Parker’s death sparked a national conversation around rough sleeping. Discover how this would ultimately lead to the reform of the Vagrancy Act.
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Focus on
Weather and climate in the record-keeping of the state
NewThe British Isles experience particularly varied weather. In what ways – and why – do records at The National Archives feature weather and climate?
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Record revealed
The physical examination of accused witches
In 1634, a group of surgeons and midwives were ordered by King Charles I’s Privy Council to examine women accused of witchcraft in Lancashire.
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The story of
The Battle of Cable Street
For many, The Battle of Cable Street symbolises community resistance to fascism, but what can archival records reveal about the realities behind this narrative?
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Enslaved and Indigenous people: Reading against the grain in the colonial archive
NewTraces of Indigenous and enslaved people’s experiences, and crucially their agency and resistance, can be found across The National Archives’ collections.
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Focus on
State responses to epidemic outbreaks and pandemics
NewFrom the Black Death to COVID-19, The National Archives holds numerous collections that shed light on official responses to public health emergencies.
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Focus on
The Black Loyalist and spy who fled to 18th-century London
Scipio Handley, a Black fisherman from South Carolina, took a great personal risk when he sided with the British during the American Revolutionary War.
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Focus on
'I feel now that at least I have roots': Eslanda Robeson’s African journey
In 1936, anthropologist Eslanda Robeson took a three-month journey through Africa. As her letters show, it had a profound impact on her.
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Record revealed
Freddie Mercury’s naturalisation certificate
Freddie Mercury was naturalised as a British citizen in 1969. This record tells the story of how he emigrated from Zanzibar to the UK.