Top of page

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

Debates of Congress

Debates of Congress covers several different resources for information about the votes and debates made on the floor of Congress including Annals of Congress (1789 to 1824), Register of Debates (1824 to 1837), Congressional Globe (1833 to 1873), and Congressional Record (1873 to present).

Annals of Congress This text is formally known as The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States and covers the 1st Congress through the first session of the 18th Congress, from 1789 to 1824.
Register of Debates The Register of Debates is a record of the congressional debates of the 18th Congress, 2nd Session through the 25th Congress, 1st Session (1824-37).
Congressional Globe The Globe, as it is usually called, contains the congressional debates of the 23rd through 42nd Congresses (1833-73).
Congressional Record The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Printed by the Government Printing Office, it is the fourth and final series of publications containing the debates of Congress.