Selections
from the
Annals of Congress
and the
Statutes at Large

A verbatim journal of the proceedings in the U.S. Congress was not kept for the first 18 Congresses, 1789-1824, but in the period from 1834 to 1856 scholars compiled a record from newspaper and other records, formally titled The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, and informally the Annals of Congress, as part of the History of Congress, 42 vols. Washington, D.C.: Gales & Seaton. They are available online as image files at the Library of Congress. We may eventually put the entire collection online as HTML and text files, if time and funds are available, but for now, we are putting up a few selections that enlighten original understanding of the Constitution.

See also the Journal of William Maclay. Maclay served as senator from Pennslyvania from 1789 to 1791 and kept a private journal of his experiences that is highly revealing.

See our complete collection of the Statutes at Large, 1789-2007, with selections for tax statutes of 1917-1939, in searchable image-over-text PDF files, one per volume.

See also the images of the Statutes at Large at the Library of Congress.

First Congress

  Introduction, Transmittal of Constitution

  First Session – Senate (1789 Mar 4-Sep 29)

First Session – House (1789 Mar 4-Sep 29)

  Bill of Rights,
1789 Jun 8, Jul 21, Aug 13, 18-19; Annals 1:424-50, 661-65, 707-17, 757-59, 766

Second Session – Senate (1790 Jan 4-Aug 12)

Second Session – House (1790 Jan 4-Aug 12)

Third Session – Senate (1790 Dec 6-1791 Mar 3)

Third Session – House (1790 Dec 6-1791 Mar 3)

Second Congress

Special Session – Senate (1791 Mar 4)

First Session – Senate (1791 Oct 21-1792 May 8)

First Session – House (1791 Oct 21-1792 May 8)

Second Session – Senate (1792 Nov 5-1793 Mar 2)

Second Session – House (1792 Nov 5-1793 Mar 2)

Third Congress

Special Session – Senate (1793 Mar 4)

First Session – Senate (1793 Dec 2-1794 Jun 9)

First Session – House (1793 Dec 2-1794 Jun 9)

Second Session – Senate (1794 Nov 3-1795 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1794 Nov 3-1795 Mar 3)

Fourth Congress

Special Session – Senate (1795 Jun 8-26)

First Session – Senate (1795 Dec 7-1796 Jun 1)

First Session – House (1795 Dec 7-1796 Jun 1)

Second Session – Senate (1796 Dec 5-1797 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1796 Dec 5-1797 Mar 3)

Fifth Congress

Special Session 1 – Senate (1797 Mar 4)

First Session – Senate (1797 May 15-Jul 10)

First Session – House (1797 May 15-Jul 10)

Second Session – Senate (1797 Nov 13-1798 Jul 16)

Second Session – House (1797 Nov 13-1798 Jul 16)

Special Session 2 – Senate (1798 Jul 17-19)

Third Session – Senate (1798 Dec 3-1799 Mar 3)

Third Session – House (1798 Dec 3-1799 Mar 3)

Sixth Congress

First Session – Senate (1799 Dec 2-1800 May 14)

First Session – House (1799 Dec 2-1800 May 14)

Second Session – Senate (1800 Nov 17-1801 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1800 Nov 17-1801 Mar 3)

Seventh Congress

Special Session – Senate (1801 Mar 4-5)

First Session – Senate (1801 Dec 7-1802 May 3)

First Session – House (1801 Dec 7-1802 May 3)

Second Session – Senate (1802 Dec 6-1803 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1802 Dec 6-1803 Mar 3)

Eighth Congress

First Session – Senate (1803 Oct 17-1804 Mar 27)

First Session – House (1803 Oct 17-1804 Mar 27)

Second Session – Senate (1804 Nov 5-1805 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1804 Nov 5-1805 Mar 3)

Ninth Congress

Special Session – Senate (1805 Mar 4)

First Session – Senate (1805 Dec 2-1806 Apr 21)

First Session – House (1805 Dec 2-1806 Apr 21)

Second Session – Senate (1806 Dec 1-1807 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1806 Dec 1-1807 Mar 3)

Tenth Congress

First Session – Senate (1807 Oct 26-1808 Apr 25)

 Treason and other crimes,
1808 Feb 11, 24, Mar 1; Annals 17:108-27, 135-49, 159-50

First Session – House (1807 Oct 26-1808 Apr 25)

Second Session – Senate (1808 Nov 7-1809 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1808 Nov 7-1809 Mar 3)

Eleventh Congress

Special Session – Senate (1809 Mar 4-7)

First Session – Senate (1809 May 22-Jun 28)

First Session – House (1809 May 22-Jun 28)

Second Session – Senate (1809 Nov 27-1810 May 1)

Second Session – House (1809 Nov 27-1810 May 1)

Third Session – Senate (1810 Dec 3-1811 Mar 3)

Third Session – House (1810 Dec 3-1811 Mar 3)

Twelth Congress

First Session – Senate (1811 Nov 4-1812 Jul 6)

First Session – House (1811 Nov 4-1812 Jul 6)

Second Session – Senate (1812 Nov 2-1813 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1812 Nov 2-1813 Mar 3)

Thirteenth Congress

First Session – Senate (1813 May 24-Aug 2)

First Session – House (1813 May 24-Aug 2)

Second Session – Senate (1813 Dec 6-1814 Apr 18)

Second Session – House (1813 Dec 6-1814 Apr 18)

Third Session – Senate (1814 Sep 19-1815 Mar 3)

Third Session – House (1814 Sep 19-1815 Mar 3)

Fourteenth Congress

First Session – Senate (1815 Dec 4-1816 Apr 30)

First Session – House (1815 Dec 4-1816 Apr 30)

Second Session – Senate (1816 Dec 2-1817 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1816 Dec 2-1817 Mar 3)

Fifteenth Congress

Special Session – Senate (1817 Mar 4-6)

First Session – Senate (1817 Dec 1-1818 Apr 20)

First Session – House (1817 Dec 1-1818 Apr 20)

Second Session – Senate (1818 Nov 16-1819 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1818 Nov 16-1819 Mar 3)

Sixteenth Congress

First Session – Senate (1819 Dec 6-1820 May 15)

First Session – House (1819 Dec 6-1820 May 15)

Second Session – Senate (1820 Nov 13-1821 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1820 Nov 13-1821 Mar 3)

Seventeenth Congress

First Session – Senate (1821 Dec 3-1822 May 8)

First Session – House (1821 Dec 3-1822 May 8)

Second Session – Senate (1822 Dec 2-1823 Mar 3)

Second Session – House (1822 Dec 2-1823 Mar 3)

Eighteenth Congress

First Session – Senate (1823 Dec 1-1824 May 27)

First Session – House (1823 Dec 1-1824 May 27)