American State Papers contain the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838. They are a rich source of primary material on early American history as well as a complement to the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980. Approximately two-thirds of the publications cover the first 14 Congresses (1789-1817), whereas the remaining third chronologically overlap with the Serial Set from 1817-1838.
The American State Papers cover such historical events as Lewis and Clark's Expedition, Burr's Conspiracy and Arrest, and the Treaty of the Creek Indians. Other documents address the Exploration of the Pacific Ocean, Free Negroes in North Carolina, Land for Female Academies, Protection of the Western Frontier, Trade with China and much more.
Unlike the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, the publications in the American State Papers are not divided into reports and documents and do not include House and Senate journals.
