Legislative Branch

The Center for Legislative ArchivesSince the First Congress in 1789, the records of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have documented the history of the legislative branch. These records remain the legal property of the House and Senate, but are preserved and made available by the Center for Legislative Archives, part of the National Archives.

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9/11 Commission

9/11 Commission seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United States

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Online Exhibit

Visit the Online Exhibit -  Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman "Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman"

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  700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
  Washington, DC 20408
  legislative.archives@nara.gov

  Phone:   (202) 357-5350
  Fax:   (202) 357-5911


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Featured Documents


The Homestead Act Anniversary
HR 125, An Act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain, March 25, 1862, printed House bill with Senate amendments
The Homestead Act encouraged western migration by providing settlers with 160 acres of land in exchange for a nominal filing fee.
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Louisiana Statehood
H.R. 88, An act for the admission of the State of Louisiana into the Union, as passed by the House on March 20, 1812
Louisiana celebrates its bicentennial in 2012. Here is a selection of congressional records that document Louisiana's journey to become the 18th state in the Union.
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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272