Historical Documents & Primary Sources
- Oral History of the House (Library of Congress)
Learn about the history of the U.S. House of Representatives through the perspectives of those who lived it. The oral history program provides a vivid picture of the inner workings of Congress during some of the most influential times in our country’s modern history. These interviews discuss the people, events, institutions, and objects of the ever-evolving House of Representatives.
- Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789
Contains 277 documents relating to the work of Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. Items include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
- U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774-1875
Beginning with the Continental Congress in 1774, America's national legislative bodies have kept records of their proceedings. The records of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and the United States Congress make up a rich documentary history of the construction of the nation and the development of the federal government and its role in national life. These documents record American history in the words of those who built our government.
- Audiovisual Library of International Law Historical Archives
The Historic Archives aims to preserve, in a vivid and informative manner, the audiovisual heritage of the United Nations in the progressive development and codification of international law and thereby promote a better understanding of the essential role of the United Nations in the advancement of the rule of law.
- Archive of Foreign Legal Gazettes in the Law Library of Congress
The Law Library of Congress has been collecting foreign official gazettes since the mid-nineteenth century and maintains one of the largest collections of these sources in the world. Official gazettes are primary sources of law published by national governments to disseminate new legislation, regulations, and decisions of governmental bodies.
