The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House have come together to help present America’s 100 Docs, an initiative of the National Archives Foundation! In preparation for America’s 250th anniversary, we invite people of all ages to engage with this online game to rediscover the past and vote on which historical documents and records are our nation’s most significant.
Not a Ph.D. Historian?
Good news: you don’t need to be to play! The game is designed for everyone – whether you’re a diehard history buff or you haven’t brushed up on American history since the eighth grade.
ABOUT AMERICA’S 100 DOCs
The 100 records included in America’s 100 Docs were selected by a historical advisory group of award-winning historians, political scientists, and other scholars, co-chaired by former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and famed documentarian, Ken Burns.
The 100 records included are not limited to written paper artifacts, but also include photos, maps, patents, and images representing the key stories and inflection points that advanced American history across eight different time periods.
ABOUT THE GAME
In the first round, participants vote for their top two documents in each time-period Narrowing it down to the 16 documents that make it to the America’s 100 Docs Finals in early 2026.
The America’s 100 Docs Finals is a bracket-style tournament where ONE will be voted as America’s most significant document.
This online game provides a fresh and exciting way to learn history while having fun along the way. Whether you are a history buff, patriot, gamer, or lover of democracy, America’s 100 Docs puts the power of history in your hands. Be part of history and part of the action! Visit 100docs.vote to start playing today!
FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS
We invite you to incorporate the game into your curriculum and lesson plans throughout the school year. Use the game as an educational resource to dive into specific time periods of American history and support classroom discussion. Engage your students by asking them to cast their votes individually or as a class.
- – Classroom activities are available for select records included in America’s 100 Docs through DocsTeach.
- – Teachers can also find additional educational resources from the National Archives here.
Dive into Specific Time Periods
Use America’s 100 Docs as a hook to open a new unit of study. For instance, instruct students to explore documents from a specific time-period (e.g., 1866-1890: Reconstruction & Industrial, or 1972-2001: Contemporary) to preview important content, activate their prior knowledge, and pique their curiosity in upcoming topics. Students can view and filter for a specific time-period in the 100 Gallery from the game’s main menu.
Vote as a Class
Instruct students to play the game and vote on each time-period independently, with each student recording their top two documents for each of the eight time periods. Then, engage the entire class in a structured debate or discussion to determine the top document for your class.
Students can save their votes by selecting Save My Progress in the main menu and entering their email address or mobile number. They will then receive a magic link to their email address or mobile number, and whenever they click on it, it will bring them back to the game with their votes and top picks saved. Note: Information for students under 13 will not be collected or used for marketing purposes.
Put the power of history in your classroom’s hands – visit 100docs.vote to play today!
America’s 100 Docs is an initiative of the National Archives Foundation, in partnership with More Perfect and serves as a kick-off for Americans to prepare for our nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026.