Stuff Every American Should Know

• By Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• This item is not eligible for discounts unless explicitly mentioned in promotional offers

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• A pocket-sized gift book packed with patriotic facts for ordinary Americans and history buffs alike.
  
  This handbook is the perfect patriotic present for any engaged United States citizen. Who played the first game of baseball? What’s a bicameral congress? Where did Mount Rushmore come from? Who is Geronimo and why do we yell his name when we jump? Plus:
  
  • All about the Declaration of Independence
  • Ten Books Every American Should Read
  • Assassination Attempts on U.S. Presidents
  • The History of the Statue of Liberty
  • How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie
  
  

The National Archives is the keeper of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But we also hold in trust for the public the records of ordinary citizens—for example, military records of the brave men and women who have fought for our country, naturalization records of the immigrants whose dreams have shaped our nation, and even the canceled check from the purchase of Alaska.

As of June 16, 2025, in the holdings of the National Archives there are approximately 13.5 billion pages of textual records; more than 725,000 artifacts; more than 450 million feet of film, or about 85,302 miles (enough to circle the earth almost 3.4 times): 41 million photographs; 40 million aerial images; 10 million maps, charts, architectural and engineering drawings; more than 33 billion electronic records (1 petabyte). All of these materials are preserved because they are important to the workings of Government, have long-term research value, or provide information of value to citizens.