After the Capitol was destroyed during the War of 1812, Congress was forced to reconvene in the U.S. Patent Office—the only government building not burned by the British in 1814. On September 23, the House of Representatives passed this resolution to appoint a committee to report on the causes and results of Britain’s successful attack on the capital. Resolution that a Committee be Appointed to inquire into the causes of the success of the enemy, 9/23/1814, HR 13A-D15.3, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
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After the Capitol was destroyed during the War of 1812, Congress was forced to reconvene in the U.S. Patent Office—the only government building not burned by the British in 1814. On September 23, the House of Representatives passed this resolution to appoint a committee to report on the causes and results of Britain’s successful attack on the capital.

Resolution that a Committee be Appointed to inquire into the causes of the success of the enemy, 9/23/1814, HR 13A-D15.3, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

On June 8, 1789, Representative James Madison of Virginia introduced a series of proposed amendments to the newly ratified U.S. Constitution. That summer the House of Representatives debated the issue and on August 24 passed seventeen proposed constitutional amendments. The Senate then took up the matter — they altered and consolidated the House amendments into 12. This printed document reflects the Senate’s changes as passed on September 14, 1789. The line-outs on the first, third and eighth articles indicate wording that had been amended in conference committee on September 24, 1789. Twelve articles of amendment were then sent to the states — articles three through twelve were ratified and became the Bill of Rights in 1791.

Proposed Amendments to the Constitution as passed by the Senate, 9/14/1789, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 2173242)

usnatarchives: It would be several years before construction started on the actual Capitol of the United States (seen here). In late June 1787, the delegates attending the Constitutional Convention were still weighing their options on the framework of a document and government. Three conceptual frameworks for the new government had been presented. In addition to Randolph’s Virginia Plan and Paterson’s New Jersey Plan, Alexander Hamilton proposed a third possibility which called for a strong executive branch that reminded many delegates an awful lot of the English monarchy.  Each plan had its advocates. The Virginia Plan was generally favored by larger states. The New Jersey Plan was generally favored by smaller states. The Hamilton plan was generally favored by Alexander Hamilton.  The concepts of the two major plans were not rooted in size but in divergent values and priorities deeply influenced by size. Larger states had more people and more natural resources at their disposal, and they believed they deserved a proportional voice in the new government. Smaller states asserted the nation had formed as a union of equal states and that each state deserved an equal voice in the new government. Nowhere was the conflict between proportional representation and equal representation more evident than in the Convention’s debates about how to organize the legislative branch. Debate about the legislature began on June 20, and the Convention took less than two days to agree it should consist of two houses. The question of how to determine representation in each house was hotly contested for weeks. On June 29, Oliver Ellsworth from Connecticut proposed representation in the First House be proportional to population and representation in the Second House be equally distributed to each state. After another week and a half of debates, the Convention finally adopted Ellsworth’s compromise as the foundation of the modern U.S. Congress. Image: Photograph of the Capitol Building Under Construction in Washington, DC.  
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usnatarchives:

It would be several years before construction started on the actual Capitol of the United States (seen here). In late June 1787, the delegates attending the Constitutional Convention were still weighing their options on the framework of a document and government.

Three conceptual frameworks for the new government had been presented. In addition to Randolph’s Virginia Plan and Paterson’s New Jersey Plan, Alexander Hamilton proposed a third possibility which called for a strong executive branch that reminded many delegates an awful lot of the English monarchy.

 Each plan had its advocates. The Virginia Plan was generally favored by larger states. The New Jersey Plan was generally favored by smaller states. The Hamilton plan was generally favored by Alexander Hamilton.

 The concepts of the two major plans were not rooted in size but in divergent values and priorities deeply influenced by size. Larger states had more people and more natural resources at their disposal, and they believed they deserved a proportional voice in the new government. Smaller states asserted the nation had formed as a union of equal states and that each state deserved an equal voice in the new government.

Nowhere was the conflict between proportional representation and equal representation more evident than in the Convention’s debates about how to organize the legislative branch. Debate about the legislature began on June 20, and the Convention took less than two days to agree it should consist of two houses. The question of how to determine representation in each house was hotly contested for weeks.

On June 29, Oliver Ellsworth from Connecticut proposed representation in the First House be proportional to population and representation in the Second House be equally distributed to each state.

After another week and a half of debates, the Convention finally adopted Ellsworth’s compromise as the foundation of the modern U.S. Congress.

Image: Photograph of the Capitol Building Under Construction in Washington, DC.

 

On May 27, 1836, Representatives John Quincy Adams introduced this motion in opposition to the “gag rule” resolution, which stated that “All petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions, or papers, relating in any way, or to any extent whatsoever, to the subject of slavery, shall, without being either printed or referred, be laid upon the table, and that on further action whatever shall be had thereon.” The rule had been adopted to stem the tide of petitions from abolitionists then flooding Congress. Adams’ argued that banning certain classes of petitions abridged the rights of citizens, and his resolution said, I hold the resolution to be in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States, of the Rules of this House, and the rights of my Constituents and gave his reservations in writing to the chair.  With leadership of Adams, the gag rule was eventually repealed by the House in 1844. Motion offered by John Quincy Adams to amend the “gag rule”, 5/27/1836, HR24A-B3, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 306599)
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On May 27, 1836, Representatives John Quincy Adams introduced this motion in opposition to the “gag rule” resolution, which stated that “All petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions, or papers, relating in any way, or to any extent whatsoever, to the subject of slavery, shall, without being either printed or referred, be laid upon the table, and that on further action whatever shall be had thereon.” The rule had been adopted to stem the tide of petitions from abolitionists then flooding Congress. Adams’ argued that banning certain classes of petitions abridged the rights of citizens, and his resolution said,
I hold the resolution to be in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States, of the Rules of this House, and the rights of my Constituents and gave his reservations in writing to the chair. 
With leadership of Adams, the gag rule was eventually repealed by the House in 1844.

Motion offered by John Quincy Adams to amend the “gag rule”, 5/27/1836, HR24A-B3, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 306599)

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 granted the territories of Kansas and Nebraska popular sovereignty over the issue of slavery, which pitted pro and anti slavery forces against each other. The conflict often turned violent and “Bleeding Kansas” became the focus of the slavery debate. In May of 1856 Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner delivered a two-day speech called “the Crime Against Kansas” where he discussed the turmoil over slavery, denouncing the institution and attacking Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. On May 22, 1856 Sen. Butler’s relative, Representative Preston Brooks, approached Sen. Sumner on the Senate floor and said,

Mr. Sumner, I have read your speech carefully, and with as much calmness as I could be expected to read such a speech. You have libelled my State and slandered my relation, who is aged and absent, and I feel it to be my duty to punish you for it…

Rep. Brooks then caned Sen. Sumner “until he was satisfied.”

To determine if Brooks should be punished for his actions, the House of Representatives created a Select Committee to investigate the canning. The above document was submitted as testimony in the hearings, and is the only account that quotes Rep. Brooks describing both the physical attacked and the heated exchange of words.

On July 14, 1856, the House voted 121 to 95 in favor of expelling Rep. Brooks, but because the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority for expulsion, Rep. Brooks was allowed to maintain his seat in the House. However, Brooks felt he should resign from office and let his constituents decide his political fate. He was overwhelmingly reelected by his district. He died in office a year later. Sen. Sumner was absent from the Senate for three years and never fully regained his health. He served in Congress for nearly twenty more years.

Testimony on the Assault of Senator Charles Sumner, 5/28/1856, HR34A-D24.5, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 2127351)

After almost a decade of debate in Congress, the Homestead Act was signed into law on May 20, 1862. The debate had started during the 1850s.  As westward expansion grew increasingly popular, more and more people argued that the government should give free land titles to settlers. The House of Representatives passed several homestead bills during the 1850s, but each failed when it was opposed by Senators from the South. In 1862, with the country fighting a civil war (and no southern opposition remaining in Congress), the legislation’s proponents finally achieved success. The House passed the Homestead Act on February 28 by the large margin of 107 to 16. The Senate also passed the act easily on May 6 by a vote of 33 to 7. After a few minor changes in conference committee—to which both houses agreed without controversy—Congress sent the final legislation to President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the act into law on May 20.The Homestead Act encouraged western migration by providing settlers with 160 acres of land in exchange for a nominal filing fee. Its provisions included two requirements: settlers had to reside on the land continuously for five-years before receiving the title to it, and settlers had to be, or in the process of becoming, U.S. citizens. Through 1986, when the last claim was made in Alaska, the Homestead Act distributed 270 million acres of land in the United States making it, arguably, one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation in American history. HR 125, “An Act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain, 3/25/1862, SEN37A-C1, Records of the U.S. Senate
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After almost a decade of debate in Congress, the Homestead Act was signed into law on May 20, 1862. The debate had started during the 1850s.  As westward expansion grew increasingly popular, more and more people argued that the government should give free land titles to settlers. The House of Representatives passed several homestead bills during the 1850s, but each failed when it was opposed by Senators from the South. In 1862, with the country fighting a civil war (and no southern opposition remaining in Congress), the legislation’s proponents finally achieved success. The House passed the Homestead Act on February 28 by the large margin of 107 to 16. The Senate also passed the act easily on May 6 by a vote of 33 to 7. After a few minor changes in conference committee—to which both houses agreed without controversy—Congress sent the final legislation to President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the act into law on May 20.

The Homestead Act encouraged western migration by providing settlers with 160 acres of land in exchange for a nominal filing fee. Its provisions included two requirements: settlers had to reside on the land continuously for five-years before receiving the title to it, and settlers had to be, or in the process of becoming, U.S. citizens. Through 1986, when the last claim was made in Alaska, the Homestead Act distributed 270 million acres of land in the United States making it, arguably, one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation in American history.

HR 125, “An Act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain, 3/25/1862, SEN37A-C1, Records of the U.S. Senate

With the country continually expanding and growing, Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Acts in 1862, authorizing two companies, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, to construct a transcontinental railroad. Work began the next year, and eventually over 18,000 Chinese, German, Irish, and Italian immigrants worked on the project. The last spike was driven on May 10, 1869, in a ceremony at Promontory, Utah.

Memorial and Joint Resolution relative to a grant of Lands, 2/11/1858, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

Letter from Secretary of the Interior, 1/14/1869, Records of the U.S. Senate

The Wade-Davis bill was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 15, 1864 and amended on May 4. The bill proposed conditions to be met by the former Confederate states prior to their return to the Union at the conclusion of the Civil War. It required that 50% of a state’s white males take a loyalty oath in order for the state to be readmitted to the Union. In addition, states were required to give blacks the right to vote. This bill passed both houses of Congress in July 1864. It was pocket vetoed by President Abraham Lincoln, and therefore never enacted into law. However, some of the policies included in this bill were later implemented in a series of four Reconstruction Acts (1867-1868), which were passed into law after Congress overrode the vetoes of President Andrew Johnson. Wade-Davis Bill as Amended, 5/4/1864, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 5049648)
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The Wade-Davis bill was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 15, 1864 and amended on May 4. The bill proposed conditions to be met by the former Confederate states prior to their return to the Union at the conclusion of the Civil War. It required that 50% of a state’s white males take a loyalty oath in order for the state to be readmitted to the Union. In addition, states were required to give blacks the right to vote. This bill passed both houses of Congress in July 1864. It was pocket vetoed by President Abraham Lincoln, and therefore never enacted into law. However, some of the policies included in this bill were later implemented in a series of four Reconstruction Acts (1867-1868), which were passed into law after Congress overrode the vetoes of President Andrew Johnson.

Wade-Davis Bill as Amended, 5/4/1864, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (ARC 5049648)

This week marks the bicentennial celebration of the statehood of Louisiana. Among the historical records of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate at the Center for Legislative Archives are many documents that illustrate the important role Congress plays in the creation of states. For Louisiana the road to statehood was relatively short; it became a state less than 10 years after being acquired from the French Government under provisions of the Louisiana Purchase. Visit our featured documents page for selection of congressional records that document Louisiana’s journey to become the 18th state in the Union.  

Proclamation of Governor William Claiborne, 12/20/1803, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives 

President Jefferson’s nomination of William Claiborne, 11/30/1804, Records of the U.S. Senate

The Constitution of the State of Louisiana, 1/22/1812, Records of the U.S. Senate

HR 88, 3/20/1812, Records of the U.S. Senate

The April 18, 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, estimated at 7.9 magnitude, was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, claiming more than 3,000 lives. Congress responded to the disaster in several ways. The House and the Senate Appropriations Committees enacted emergency appropriations. Other congressional action included the House Claims Committee handling claims from owners seeking reimbursement for destroyed property. The Senate also passed a resolution asking the Secretary of War to furnish the Senate with a copy of a report on the earthquake and fire. The report on the relief efforts and accompanying captioned photographs, prepared by the U.S. Army, are now housed with the records of the Senate Committee on Printing and include the above photos.

Visit our featured document article for more information on this tragic event and the congressional response.

Photograph of Union Street Car Line After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 2127302)

Photograph of the Effect of Earthquake on Houses Built on Loose or Made Ground After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 2127357)

Photograph of Souvenir Hunters After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 2127316)

Photograph of St. Francis Hotel Showing the Clean Sweep of Fire in the Business Section of All Except Class A Steel Frame Buildings After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 2127289)

Photograph of a Military Camp on the Fourth Day After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC  2127305)

Photograph of a Typical Bread Line in the Early Stages of Relief Distribution After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Records of the U.S. Senate (ARC 306190)