Records of Rights: A Permanent Exhibition in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery
In “Records of Rights,” explore how generations of Americans sought to fulfill the promise of the founding documents. The David M. Rubenstein Gallery exhibition showcases original and facsimile National Archives documents and uses an innovative 17-foot-long touch-screen interactive table to illustrate how Americans have debated about and fought for rights like free speech, religion, and equality.
Preview some of the featured documents in the "Records of Rights" Online Exhibit.
Magna Carta
Begin your exploration of "Records of Rights" by viewing an original 1297 Magna Carta, on display courtesy of David M. Rubenstein.
Landmark Document Case
National Archives, General Records of the United States Government
Where promises have sometimes failed, we may now expect results.
— Richard Nixon
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was designed to end segregation in all public facilities and to ensure equal access to education and employment. But when it came to the workplace, the law had no teeth. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 addressed the problem by creating the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC. The EEOC is empowered to investigate and take legal action to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which protects U.S. workers from employment discrimination based on sex, race, age, color, religion, or national origin.
