LibGuides: United States History: Government Documents

Government Documents

American State Papers, 1789-1838
Search or browse U.S. congressional materials originating from 1789 and covering through 1838, including 1st Congress, 1st Session through 25th Congress, 2nd Session
Congressional Indexes, 1789-1972
Indexing and abstracting of historical Congressional publications (1789-1969), transcripts of unpublished hearings (1823-1972), Serial Set. A section of LexisNexis Congressional. Full text not included, but may be available through the library.
U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1980)
Reports, Documents, and Journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The digital version of the Serial Set consists of approximately 13,800 volumes and over 12 million pages covering the period from 1817-1980.
Congressional Research Service Reports
Congressional Research Service prepares reports at the request of Members but does not provide public access. Some Members and non-profit groups have posted the reports. This site provides searchable and browseable access to many of those reports

Congressional Research Service Reports from the UNT Digital Library
Searchable database with more than 8,000 reports released by members of Congress (CRS reports are not otherwise made public). From the Center for Democracy and Technology

National Archives and Records Administration
The U.S. agency responsible for maintaining archival collections of all Federal departments and agencies, both in Washington, D.C. and regional centers around the country. It also maintains the presidential libraries.

AMDOCS: Documents for the study of American History
Collection of primary documents and speeches essential for the study of US History. Arranged chronologically: as of August 2004, from Columbus' journals to the report of the 9/11 Commissio
U.S. Declassified Documents Online
Full text of documents from various government agencies: the White House, the CIA, the FBI, the State Department and others, declassified by the U.S. government, and obtained from Presidential Libraries

National Security Archive
Selected declassified documents of the US government on a wide range of subjects: Nuclear History, Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Intelligence and Secrecy, September 11, etc. A valuable collection of primary sources.
American Presidency Project
One of the most comprehensive collection of web resources on the American presidency, including documents, public papers, executive orders, addresses, press conferences, debates, election data, approval ratings, much more
Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates
U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873. Part of the American Memory Project from the Library of Congress. Includes Annals of Congress, journals of the Continental Congress, House and Senate, U.S. Serial Set documents and more.
Cold War International History Project Digital Archive
Collection of Cold War archival materials from governments on all sides in the conflict.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), 1861-1958
Official documentary record of major US foreign policy decisions, archived as digital facsimile by the University of Wisconsin. Incomplete run with years added as available. Precedes the modern version maintained and archived by the US State Department
Historic Documents: 1972-present
U.S. and international documents on the most significant events of the year. Includes presidential speeches, international agreements, Supreme Court decisions, governmental reports, scientific findings,cultural discussions, etc. 100 new documents per year
Historical Publications of the United States Commission on Civil Rights
Full text of historical reports of the commission, from 1957 (when it was established) to the present.
JFK Assassination Reports and Records
The complete text of the Warren Commission report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, accompanied by tens of thousands of pages of reports, transcripts, and other documents, as well as dozens of hours of audio segments.
Pentagon Papers
Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force', commissioned in 1967. In June 1971 small portions were leaked to the press and widely distributed. In June 2011 the National Archives released the complete 7000 pages
Studies in Scarlet : Marriage and Sexuality in the U.S. & U.K., 1815-1914
Transcripts of over 420 trials in the U.S. & U.K. involving domestic violence, bigamy, seduction, breach of promise to marry, and the custody of children, as well as trials for murder, rape, and sexual deviancy.
HeinOnline
Full text of legal periodicals plus primary sources such as the Code of Federal Regulations; Federal Register; Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS); Treaties and Agreements Library; United States Code; U.S. Attorney General Opinions; U.S. Congressional Documents; U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions, and Appeals; U.S. Federal Legislative History Library; U.S. Statutes at Large; World Constitutions Illustrated. Also includes Women and the Law (Peggy) collection of historic primary sources.
Women and the Law (Peggy)
Books, biographies and periodicals dedicated to women's roles in society and the law. Great platform to research the progression of women's roles and rights in society over the last 200 years. Select from first page of HeinOnline.

Proquest History Vault: Immigration Records of the INS 1880-1930
Covers the investigations made by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) during the massive immigration wave of 1880-1930. The files cover Asian immigration, especially Japanese and Chinese migration, to California, Hawaii, and other states; Mexican immigration to the U.S. from 1906-1930, and European immigration. There are also extensive files on the INS’s regulation of prostitution and white slavery and on suppression of radical aliens.
Proquest History Vault: Vietnam War and Foreign Policy
Covering the U.S. involvement in the region from the early days of the Kennedy administration, through the escalation of the war during the Johnson administration, to the final resolution of the war at the Paris Peace Talks and the evacuation of U.S. troops. Along the way, documents in this module trace the actions and decisions at the highest levels of the U.S. foreign policy apparatus, as well as events on the ground in Vietnam, from the perspective of State Department officials, Associated Press reporters, and members of the U.S. Armed forces, including the Marines and the Military Assistance Command Vietnam.