Abstract
From the time of the first meetings of the First Continental Congress in 1774, when steps were taken to record the actions of the Congress, there has been an almost continuous agitation for an appreciation of the historical importance of the official records of the United States Government. As the years went by and valuable documents were damaged and lost through fire, inadequate space, neglect and ill-use, the feeling became more widespread that the records of our Government’s activities deserved a better fate than they were receiving. Periodically proposals were made for adequate housing and centralized control. It was not, however, until 1934 that these efforts culminated in the appointment of the first Archivist of the United States and the establishment of the National Archives. Since that date a vast quantity of Federal records formerly located in widely scattered and often inaccessible places throughout the city of Washington have been brought together under one roof. In addition to materials from the city of Washington, large groups of records have been received from our diplomatic and consular posts abroad as well as from various field agencies of the Federal government throughout this country.
Recommended Citation
Drewry, Elizabeth B.
(1944)
"Material in the National Archives Relating to Florida. 1789-1870,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 23:
No.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol23/iss2/4
