Select Early U.S. Government Documents, 1789-1909
Revoluntionary
Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence, 1775-1785
(Docs Enclosed Area)
Correspondence relating to foreign affairs and diplomacy during the American Revolution.
American Archives
(Docs Enclosed Area)
Colonial papers and documents 1774-76 on colonial affairs and the American Revolution.
Naval Documents of the American Revolution
(DOCS D 207.12:vol.)
Original documents and letters on naval operations from 1774-1777.
Congressional documents
See also Docs “Congress” page and a Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation
U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873
(Docs Enclosed Area)
Laws, House Journal, Senate Journal, Senate Executive Journal, Annals of Congress, Journal of Senator Maclay.
Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
(Docs Enclosed Area)
Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1779
Microfilm. Shelved at the end of all DOCS microfiche. Paper index on top of microfiche cabinets.
Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789
(DOCS LC 1.34:1-18)
Supplements the Journal of the Continental Congress.
Secret Journals of the Acts and Proceedings of Congress from the first meeting thereof to the dissolution of the confederation, 1775-1788
(Docs Enclosed Area)
American State Papers
(Docs Enclosed Area, Serial Set vols. 01-038)
Executive and legislative documents of first 14 congresses, 1789-1823, grouped by subject categories. Index in each volume.
Annals of Congress and various other titles (Congressional Record)
(Docs Enclosed Area)
A record of the debates and proceedings in the Congress, 1789-date.
Executive documents
Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897
(Docs Enclosed Area) Serial Set 3265, Regular stacks J 81.B96)
Laws, Foreign Affairs, and Treaties
Foreign Relations of the United States
(Docs Enclosed Area S 1.1:1862- )
Official record of U.S. foreign policy with correspondence and papers on major policies and decisions.
Indian Affairs: Laws & Treaties, 1778-1904
(Kappler Online and DOCS I 1.107:1-6)
Compilation of treaties, laws, executive orders, etc. relating to Indian affairs.
Statutes at Large
(Online and DOCS AE 2.111:)
Bound volumes of laws as passed through Congress.
Treaties and other International Acts of the U.S., 1776-date
(DOCS S 9.)
For treaties 1776-1949, use the red volumes called the “Bevans”. There is an index in the last volume. For treaties 1950- use United States Treaty Index, 1776-1990. Locate these treaties in the blue set, United States Treaties and Other International Agreements. For current treaties use Current Treaty Index. For more detailed instructions for finding treaties, see the Docs. handout entitled, “International Studies”. See online Treaties on the Docs web pages.
Westward exploration/expansion
Territorial Papers of the United States
(DOCS GS 4.13:vol., and S 1.36:vol.)
Documents and correspondence relating to constitutional and political beginnings and administration of territorial areas prior to statehood.
Hayden, King, Powell, and Wheeler Surveys of the West, 1867-1883
(Docs Enclosed Area I 17., I 18., W 7.1:, W 8.1:) and the Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
Statistics and Census data
Census of the United States, 1790-date
(DOCS C 3.X:nos.) Paper and microforms.
See online United States Historical Census Data Browser 1790 to 1960.
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970
(DOCS C 3.134/2:H 62/789-970 and Ref. HA202.H57 1989, vols.1 & 2)
Historical population and housing data for U.S., regions, states and counties, 1789-1970.
Civil War
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in War of Rebellion
(DOCS N 16.6:vol. See entry in the TIGER catalog for complete holdings.)
Letters, documents, reports regarding naval operations during Civil War.
War of the Rebellion. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1880-1901
(Regular Stacks E 464.U6)
Military records, reports, letters, orders on the Civil War arranged by campaign and theaters of operation, has index to individual names.