The American State Papers are the principal source containing the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period from 1789 to 1838. The 38 physical volumes containing 6,278 documents, includes documents that cover the critical historical gap from 1789 to the printing of the first volume of the United States Serial Set in 1817. The volumes are arranged into ten topical classes or series:
Library of Congress Creation
In 1801, Congress created the Library of Congress. The text below can be found in Series 10, Misc. v.1 pg.253-4. This bill created the Library of Congress in 1801. The first library was located in the U.S. Capitol.
The Library of Congress today is the world’s largest library. The collection spans three large buildings and two large storage facilities and contains more than 178 million items.
The resolution printed here from the American Sate Papers calls for the library collections from both the House and Senate to be added to the recent purchase of new books and maps into one single library. Also called for is the shelving, furnishing, inventory of, circulation of, administration of, and the upkeep and accounting for the items in the library.
1794 Debate and Law Passed for a 15-Stripe U.S. flag
The Statutes at Large is the permanent collection of all public and private laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress, as well as proclamations made by the President, and proposals and ratified amendments to the Constitution.
“An Act making an alteration in the Flag of the United States”
In 1794, when Vermont and Kentucky were given statehood, Congress approved the changing of the flag to 15 stars AND 15 stripes.
The Statutes at Large, shown below, shows the resulting Act that was signed into law, which took place January 7-8, 1794 in the House of Representatives as part of the 3rd Congress, the first session held in Philadelphia.
The Annals of Congress contained the debates and votes in the House of Representatives describing the proposed changes to the U.S. flag from 13 stars and stripes to 15 stars and stripes.
The debate was very lively. Two motions were also proposed to make the 13 stars and stripes the official and permanent flag of the United States. But both motions were defeated. The final vote to alter the flag was passed 50-42 in favor.
It wasn’t until April 4, 1818 that Congress reconsidered and decided to go back to 13 stripes and that it was better to add new stars and not additional strips for each new state that was added to the Union. See text below from the American State Papers 14th Cong 2nd Session, Jan. 2, 1817 and the Statute from 1818. This was the only U.S. flag to have more than 13 stripes, from 1795 – 1818.
The Statutes at Large, below, has the text of the 1818 Act that was passed into law that reverted the flag back to 13 stripes and stars, representing each original state.
The Annals, now called the Congressional Record, contains the transcripts of the debates from the House and Senate floor and includes the voting records for each bill that is brought to the floor for a vote. If the same bill passes both the House and Senate, it is then sent on to the President for their signature or veto. Once the bill becomes law, it is then recorded in the Statutes at Large, which contains all the laws passed and signed into law.
Law passed in 1794 to make a US flag with 15 stars and stripes
Congressional Report issued 1817
Law passed in 1818 reverting the flag back to 13 stripes and stars
