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The Struggle for Rights in America

Many documents at the National Archives illustrate how individuals and groups asserted their rights as Americans. Use this site to explore the topics of slavery, racism, citizenship, women's independence, immigration, and more.

Explore an entire exhibit devoted to "Records of Rights" at recordsofrights.org and in person at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., where documents from the holdings of the National Archives illustrate how Americans have endeavored to define, secure, and protect their rights.

Cover Image: Voters at the “Sugar Shack” in Peachtree, Alabama, 1966

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The National Archives

DocsTeach is a product of the National Archives education division. Our mission is to engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people preserved by the National Archives.

The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper. We save documents and other materials created in the course of business conducted by the U.S. Federal government that are judged to have continuing value. We hold in trust for the public the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights — but also the records of ordinary citizens — at our locations around the country.
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Creative Commons License

Except where otherwise noted, DocsTeach is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Primary source documents included on this site generally come from the holdings of the National Archives and are in the public domain, except as noted. Teaching activities on this site have received the CC0 Public Domain Dedication; authors have waived all copyright and related rights to the extent possible under the law. See our legal and privacy page for full terms and conditions.