National Archives

The National Archives in downtown D.C. is a political shrine. The holy of holies sits there: The Constitution of the United States of America. Some of the most glorious words, We the People ... ordain and establish. {did you notice the absence of God in the preable...?}**

Amidst the glories and shames of our nation under (or vaguely in the shadow of) god are other documents on which History has pivoted:
One of the original copies of the Magna Carta.
The original copy of the Declaration of Independence.
The Bill of Rights.

Walking around the rotunda, one sees the true scope of our history. www.archives.gov Letters from wives; memoranda from Congress; notices of the government; photographs you’ve certainly seen before. It's not really big, but the seal of the President on a letter to the Head of State of some other gov’t is pretty psychologically impressive. I was enjoying my visit, glancing at these items and being amazed.

I stopped at a little piece of paper, about the same size as an ordinary photograph, maybe 4x7 or so. It was a printed form, obviously old. Interestingly it was a form from Congress to submit bills or motions (or whatever it’s called when someone says “Hey, I want to do something”). A small space to give the form an official number. A larger line for the person’s name. And several lines to state the purpose of the motion. I stood in awe, as I read the motion to introduce the 13th Amendment to the Constitution (the one banning slavery).

This little 4 x 7” piece of paper changed the world. If I could, I would keep a copy of it. The greatest actions are truly so small.




** As anyone old enough to have watched School House Rock can sing:
We the People, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice and ensure Domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the General Welfare, and secure the blessings of Libery, to ourselves and our Posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America. -- we do the ordaining, not the Almighty.