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