How Realistic is National Treasure?

Civics 101

NHPR

Government, Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2022

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the latest edition of our special series Civics at the Movies, we talk about the National Archives and how they're portrayed in the iconic film National Treasure. Is there really a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence? Is the security at the Archives really so high-tech? (Spoiler alert: no, and no.) Our guest is Jessie Kratz, historian at the National Archives and friend of the show. Sign up for our newsletter - it's free and it's fun! Click here to subscribe. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro. Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Civics 101, I'm Nick Capitice, and today we're bringing you a special bonus
0:07.0	episode, the latest edition in our series Civics at the Movies.
0:12.2	And we are once again taking on a movie that puts on full display the fun that can happen
0:16.6	when the government and its most revered institutions are put on the big screen in all of their
0:21.7	glory.
0:22.7	And joining me once again to delve into Civics at the Movies is our producer, Jackie Fulton.
0:27.2	Hey, Nick.
0:31.0	Jackie, what movie are we going to be talking about today?
0:34.7	One of my all-time favorite movies about the government, National Treasure.
0:39.3	Benjamin Franklin Gates, you're undertaking the duty of the family gates to find the
0:44.7	most spectacular treasure in history.
0:50.1	Jackie, it fills my heart with joy to know that you like this movie so much, because
0:54.9	I love it too.
0:55.9	I love both the national treasures.
0:57.8	I don't even know if I'd have this job if it weren't for national treasure.
1:00.8	A cheesy caper starring Nick Cage waxing poetic about American history?
1:06.0	I'm there for it.
1:07.5	The Declaration of Independence.
1:09.7	You think there is a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
1:13.2	The map is invisible.
1:15.6	Why would we make this up?
1:17.2	Where's your proof?
	...

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