The Declaration of Independence was kept at Fort Knox during World War II for protection.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the National Archives moved the Declaration, Constitution, and other important records away from Washington, D.C. The documents were placed in secure storage at the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The transfer protected the founding documents from possible bombing, invasion, or other wartime dangers. They remained at Fort Knox until 1944, when they were returned to Washington. The Declaration later became part of the permanent display at the National Archives Building.
Fort Knox is often associated primarily with gold bullion, but its highly secure facilities also made it suitable for safeguarding national records. The Declaration’s wartime journey is separate from its earlier moves during the Revolution, when the document circulated among government offices and was eventually preserved in federal custody.