It was created on May 15, 1861, during the government of
Ramón Castilla, as the National Archive (), with the aim of safeguarding historical government documentation, which until then had been kept in the
Convent of San Agustín. The archive was located in the old
National Library. In 1943, the archive, which houses approximately 150 million historical and administrative documents, was moved to the
Palace of Justice. However, due to changes made to the building's infrastructure, the facility was put at risk in 2024. In 1972, the
Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces changed its name to the "General Archive of the Nation," which remains to this day. In 2010, it joined the newly created
Ministry of Culture. ==List of directors==