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Collection A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774 to 1875

Statutes at Large

The United States Statutes at Large is the official source for the laws and resolutions passed by Congress.

The United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the official source for the laws and resolutions passed by Congress. Publication began in 1845 by the private firm of Little, Brown and Company under authority granted by a joint resolution of Congress. In 1874, Congress transferred the authority to publish the Statutes at Large to the Government Printing Office, which has been responsible for producing the set since that time.

Every law, public and private, ever enacted by the Congress is published in the Statutes at Large in order of the date of its passage. Until 1948, all treaties and international agreements approved by the Senate were also published in the set. In addition, the Statutes at Large includes the text of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, amendments to the Constitution, treaties with Indians and foreign nations, and presidential proclamations.

Bibliographic Records:
Vol. 1-v.8
Vol. 9-v. 11
Vol. 12-v. 15
Vol. 16-v.17
Vol. 18, pt. 1
Vol. 18, pt.2
Vol. 18, pt. 3-v. 49, pt. 2

This collection is available here.