Executive Order 206 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 206—Transfer of Revolutionary Archives

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Monday, March 9, 1903

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1 min read (227 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Theodore Roosevelt on 1903-03-09, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Transfer of Revolutionary Archives." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.

Constitutional Assessment: Reviewed under the Tenth Amendment and the principle of dual federalism, this order touches upon domains traditionally reserved to the sovereign States. The Framers would caution against any attempt to commandeer state officers or displace local police powers through federal executive fiat.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ The transfer here directed shall be made on the 1st day of July, 1903, or as promptly thereafter as shall be found conveniently practicable to the Department of State and the Library of Congress.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

227

1,409 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

34.2

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 206, Theodore Roosevelt (Mar 9, 1903). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-206-transfer-revolutionary-archives.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

The historical archives in the Department of State, known as the Revolutionary archives, and comprising (1) the records and papers of the Continental Congress; (2) the papers of George Washington; (3) the papers of James Madison; (4) the papers of Thomas Jefferson; (5) the papers of Alexander Hamilton; (6) the papers of James Monroe; (7) the papers of Benjamin Franklin, are by authority provided by the act of Congress entitled "An act making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, and for other purposes," approved February 25, 1903, hereby ordered to be transferred from the Department of State—with such exceptions and reservations in each collection herein enumerated as in the discretion of the Secretary of State may be required for the continuity and completeness of the records and archives of the Department of State—to the possession and custody of the Library of Congress, to be there preserved and rendered accessible for historical and other legitimate uses under such rules and regulations as may from time to time be prescribed by the Librarian of Congress. The transfer here directed shall be made on the 1st day of July, 1903, or as promptly thereafter as shall be found conveniently practicable to the Department of State and the Library of Congress. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. WHITE HOUSE, March 9, 1903.