• This document is a "draft for public comment" -- it isn't finished yet, and its current location is not permanent.
• If you have a suggestion of something to add, subtract, rewrite or reformat, please send email to  dheller5720 'at' yahoo.com .
• All links here are HTTP.  Your browser will probably change that to HTTPS.
  

Volume	Congresses	Dates, Contents	Volume	Congress	Dates
1	1 – 5	1789 – 1799	19	44	1875 – 1877
2	6 – 12	1799 – 1813	20	45	1877 – 1879
3	13 – 17	1813 – 1823	21	46	1879 – 1881
4	18 – 23	1824 – 1835	22	47	1881 – 1883
5	24 – 28	1836 – 1845	23	48	1883 – 1885
6	1 – 28	1789 – 1845, Private Acts	24	49	1885 – 1887
7	---	1778 – 1842, Treaties with the Indian Tribes	25	50	1887 – 1889
8	---	1776 – 1845, Treaties with Foreign Nations	26	51	1889 – 1891
9	29 – 31	1845 – 1851	27	52	1891 – 1893
10	32 – 33	1851 – 1855	28	53	1893 – 1895
11	34 – 35	1855 – 1859	29	54	1895 – 1897
12	36 – 37	1859 – 1863	30	55	1897 – 1899
13	38	1863 – 1865	31	56	1899 – 1901
14	39	1865 – 1867	etc.	etc.	1901 – 2012
15	40	1867 – 1869
16	41	1869 – 1871
17	42	1871 – 1873
18	43	1873 – 1875; Revised Statutes

Information and sources
Bibliographic details
Notes
Index volumes
Contents by topic
Previous collections
Related lists and compilations
Foundational documents
Revised Statutes and United States Code
Treaty Collections
Presidents and Congresses
States and Territories

Article I, Section 8, Clause 7, The Congress shall have Power ... To establish Post Offices and post roads.
Post Office Department and Postmasters General
Highlights and Lowlights, a very short and very subjective list

Tables of Postal Laws, Resolutions and Treaties, by volume

• Links in the tables
• Search suggestions
  

Tables of Laws and Resolutions, by topic

• Stamp Office, Stamped paper, Stamp duties, Revenue stamps
• Legal tender, Foreign currency, Exchange rates
• Secession, Admission (to the Confederacy), Readmission (to the Union)
• Confederate Postal Legislation, Provisional Government
• Confederate Postal Legislation, Permanent Government

Further references

• Journals of the Continental Congress
  
• US Congress and Government in general
• Internal Revenue, including Stamp Duties
• Post Office Department
  
• Treasury Department

Homework problems
To-Do list

• Library of Congress, American Memory, Statutes at Large.
  
• Vol. 1-18, Congresses 1-43, 1789-1875, available with a page reader, transcriptions, and a search tool, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsllink.html
• Abbreviated LoC in the volume listings below.
• For the complete American Memory collection, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation, covering 1774-1875, see http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html
• Library of Congress, Law Library, Statutes at Large.
  
• Vol. 1-5 and 9-64, Congresses 1-81, 1789-1950, available as searchable PDF files, but not complete.  The public acts are also available by chapter.
• Abbreviated LLoC in the volume listings below.
• For more information, United States Law.
• US Government Publishing Office, formerly Government Printing Office, United States Statutes at Large.
• Vol. 65-126, Congresses 82-112, 1951-2012, are available as PDF files; see here for details.
• 104th Congress to 116th Congress, 1995-2020, Public and Private Laws
• Abbreviated GPO in the volume listings below.
• US House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, http://uscode.house.gov/.
  
• http://uscode.house.gov/table3/table3years.htm, with a page reader for the Statutes at Large, public acts and resolutions only, not searchable.
• US National Archives and Records Administration, United States Statutes at Large.
  
• Wikipedia, United States Statutes at Large.
  
• Uses document links provided by uslaw.link.
  
• Timothy Armstrong, Univ. of Cincinnati, Early United States Statutes (2008-2010; archived, 2019).
• Vol. 1-44, Congresses 1-69, 1789-1927, were formerly available as PDF files, and in other formats.  Scans from LoC and microfilms; the PDFs were complete but not searchable.
• Wikisource, United States Statutes at Large.
  
• Transcribed, nicely organized, but mostly incomplete.  Based on scans from Armstrong and other sources.
  
• Constitution Society, Complete Collection of United States Statutes at Large, most collected 2005-2009.
  
• Vol. 1-129, 1789-2015, are available as searchable PDF files, but the treaties and private laws are generally omitted.  Most are also available from http://archive.org/details/usstat.  Many of the scans agree with those from LoC or HeinOnline.
  
• Abbreviated CS in the volume listings below.
• This "society" is actually a one-person operation, with a pronounced libertarian/reactionary/conspiratorial political viewpoint (Wikipedia).  Be careful to distinguish documentation from commentary; we link to the former, not the latter.
  
• Legisworks.org, Statutes at Large Project (last published 2014; archived, 2019).
  
• Vol. 1-64, 1789-1950, public acts available by chapter, with resolutions and proclamations, sometimes more.  Uses scans from CS and elsewhere, with further page omissions.
  
• The current version of this site is completely different, and not recommended.
  
• uslaw.link, http://uslaw.link; formerly LegisLink, http://legislink.org.
  
• Links to documents from Legisworks or GPO.  The most convenient lookup tool.  See also, Wikipedia Template:USStat.
• Credit to Joshua Tauberer and his GovTrack.us project.
  
• Google Books, HathiTrust, Internet Archive
• Listed with each individual volume.
• Many volumes are listed in http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007401279
  
• ESTC, English Short Title Catalogue, for publications up to 1800, http://estc.bl.uk.
  
• Subscription services, available from many university libraries, and some public libraries
• ProQuest Congressional, http://proquest.libguides.com/
  
• HeinOnline, http://home.heinonline.org
  

Bibliographic details, US Statutes at Large, vol. 1-90

• Title
• vol. 1-17, By Authority of Congress.
• vol. 1-8, The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America,
  
• from the organization of the government in 1789, to March 3, 1845.  Arranged in chronological order.  With references to the matter of each act and to the subsequent acts on the same subject, and copious notes of the decisions of the Courts of the United States construing those acts, and upon the subjects of the laws.  With an index to the contents of each volume, and a full general index to the whole work, in the concluding volume.  Together with The Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States; and also, tables, in the last volume, containing lists of the acts relating to the judiciary, imposts and tonnage, the public lands, etc.
  
• vol. 9-11, The Statutes at Large and Treaties of the United States of America,
• from December 1, 1845 to March 3, 1851, Arranged in Chronological Order; with references to the matter of each act and to the subsequent acts on the same subject.
• from December 1, 1851 to March 3, 1855, Arranged ...
  
• from December 3, 1855 to March 3, 1859, and Proclamations since 1791, Arranged ...
  
• vol. 12-15, The Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations, of the United States of America,
  
• from December 5, 1859, to March 3, 1863.  Arranged in Chronological Order and carefully collated with the Originals at Washington.  With references to the matter of each act and to the subsequent acts on the same subject.
• from December 1863, to December 1865; December, 1865, to March, 1867; December 1867, to March 1869
  
• vol. 16-17, The Statutes at Large and Proclamations of the United States of America,
• from December 1869 to March 1871, and Treaties and Postal Conventions Arranged in Chronological Order and carefully collated with the Originals at Washington, with references to the matter of each act and to the subsequent acts on the same subject.
• from March 1871 to March 1873
  
• [vol. 18, parts 1, 2] Revised Statutes of the United States, ...
• vol. 18, part 3, The Statutes at Large of the United States,
  
• from December, 1873, to March, 1875, and recent treaties, postal conventions, and executive proclamations.
  
• vol. 19-49, The Statutes at Large of the United States of America,
• [vol. 19 to 25, as] from December, 1875, to March, 1877, and recent treaties, postal conventions, and executive proclamations.
• [vol. 26 to 28, as] from December, 1889, to March, 1891, and recent treaties, conventions, and executive proclamations.
• [vol. 29] from December, 1895, to March, 1897, and recent treaties, conventions, and executive proclamations, with an appendix containing the concurrent resolutions of the two houses of Congress.
• [vol. 30-31, as] from March, 1897, to March, 1899, and recent treaties, conventions, executive proclamations, and the concurrent resolutions of the two houses of Congress.
• etc., in two or three parts
  
• vol. 50-90, United States Statutes at Large, ...
  
• Editor
• vol. 1-8, Richard Peters
• vol. 9-10, George Minot
• vol. 11, George Minot and George P. [Partridge] Sanger
• vol. 12-17, George P. Sanger
• vol. 18-62, Edited, printed, and published under the authority of an Act of Congress, and under the direction of the Secretary of State. [or similar]
  
• vol. 63-64, public and private laws "under the direction of the Administrator of General Services by the Federal Register Division, National Archives and Records Service", and treaties "under the direction of the Secretary of State"
• vol. 65-71, "under the direction of the Administrator of General Services by the Federal Register Division, National Archives and Records Service", treaties having been moved to the new series United States Treaties and Other International Agreements.
  
• vol. 72-90, "under the direction of the Administrator of General Services by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service"
• Publisher
  
• 1845 to 1852, vol. 1-9, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown
• 1853 to 1873, vol. 1-9 (reissued), vol. 10-17, Boston : Little, Brown and Company; or, Little, Brown, and Company
• 1875 to 1976, vol. 18-90, Washington : Government Printing Office
  
• Copyright
  
• Noted with each volume as <copyright>.  On the imprint page, following the title page,
• vol. 1-15, with small variations, "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year <date>, by <holder>, In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts."
• vol. 16-17, "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year <date>, by <holder>, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington."
  
• Printer, Stereotyper
• On the imprint page, or on the advertisement page; sometimes also on the last page.  Noted with each volume.
• Wikipedia, Stereotype (printing)
  
• Reprint Publisher
• Dennis & Co., Inc., Buffalo, NY, which is now part of William S. Hein & Co, Inc.
• Most of the Dennis & Co. publications are available through HeinOnline, a subscription service, although the digital version is generally not derived from the reprinted version.
• Vol. 1-17 were published by Resolution of 3 Mar. 1845, 5 Stat. 798.  Distribution was specified by Act of 8 Aug. 1846, 9 Stat. 75.  Many volumes were originally published as a set of pamphlets, issued annually (see, 1851, 1852, etc.).  Vol. 18 and later were published by Act of 20 June 1874, 18 Stat. 113.  Since 1950 (61 Stat. 636, 64 Stat. 979), authority is given by 1 U.S. Code § 112 (for statutes) and § 112a (for treaties).  Vol. 1-11 were reissued with minor (?) changes, as late as 1867.
• The digital versions often omit blank pages, which may appear as a gap in the pagination.

Notes

• References to laws and resolutions in the Statutes at Large series are usually given in the form 1 Stat. 70, indicating volume 1, page 70.  The laws are organized by Congress (1st, 2nd, etc.), Session (of that Congress), Statute, Chapter (Ch.), and Section (§).  The Statute number corresponds to the Session number, and is noted here as C/S, for Congress/Session.
• The Congressional Session dates given here are from the Statutes at Large itself, with corrections from the House and Senate Journals, and the Congressional Record.  The special sessions are all for Senate business, such as cabinet confirmations.  "The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day." [Constitution, Art. 1, Sec. 4]
  
• The date of passage by Congress and approval by the President is indicated.  The date on which a law became effective is noted when possible, but (usually) not the date on which a law became invalid; it may have expired, or been revised, replaced or repealed.  This is complicated by revisions which applied only to sections of a law.  The marginal notes in the Statutes are often helpful, by references to related acts.
• For example, the Residence Act (1 Stat. 130), establishing Washington, D.C., as the capital, passed the Senate 1 July 1790, then the House 9 July 1790, and was signed by Pres. Washington on 16 July 1790; its date is listed in the Statutes at Large as 16 July 1790, without mention of the earlier dates.  The retrocession of land to Virginia in 1846 (9 Stat. 35) is not mentioned in the marginal notes for volume 1, as that change occurred after publication of vol. 1 in 1845.
• The marginal notes and footnotes should be checked against the materials they reference, especially in the early volumes, as the chapters were renumbered in preparation (for ex., on 3 Stat. 523, ch. 93 or 92), and there are occasional typographical errors (for ex., on 2 Stat. 713, 1829 for 1819).
  
• The effective date for a law may be given directly ("effective Feb. 3", "commencing Feb. 3"), indirectly (following an event whose date is yet to be determined), or in a later law, resolution, proclamation or regulation.  The phrase "from and after Feb. 3" means either "effective Feb. 3" or "effective Feb. 4", and has been disputed in the courts at least since 1800 (ref, ref), though mostly about taxation.
• The Scott US Specialized Catalogue (2019, p. 45A) mentions a Supreme Court decision that would be in favor of "effective Feb. 4", but provides no specific reference.  The English Calendar Act of 1750 favored this position (ref).  The US position by the 1880's is discussed here (esp. sections 28 and 31a).
• As an example of the "next day" interpretation, the acts to admit Vermont as a state, "on the fourth day of March" (1 Stat. 191), and "from and after the third day of March" (1 Stat. 197), must surely refer to the same day.
• Whatever the effective date, there was often a delay in notifying the affected states, appointing and confirming the relevant officers, awarding contracts, etc.  See, for example, news of California and Oregon statehood in 1850 and 1859.
• The Statutes at Large series includes only laws actually passed by Congress and approved by the President, and gives little or no information about bills that failed to pass, bills that were vetoed without override, or laws that failed to be implemented as intended.  There are similar problems with resolutions, proclamations and treaties.  We include links to the House and Senate Journals, the Congressional Record (or its predecessors), which may give more information.  Further references for treaties are generally included.
  

• Concerning the notice "This volume is public property." which appears in some volumes, see, Britain, Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons, 1852-53 (720) XXXIV.331, Report from the Select Committee on Parliamentary Papers, testimony of Henry Stevens, 9 May 1853 (link), about the proviso "This volume is public property." (ref), and distribution of the Statutes at Large to foreign governments (ref).

Index volumes

• General Index to the Eight Volumes of the Statutes at Large, in vol. 8 (1789 to 1845), p. 1-182.
• Franking Privilege, p. 69-70
• Postmaster-General, Postmasters, Post Office Department, Post Roads and Routes, p. 137-139
• Post Roads, by state and territory, p. 139
• Stamps, p. 161
• A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America, from Mar. 4, 1789, to Mar. 3, 1851 [vol. 1-9], Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1852, [4] + 747 p.
• The index does not distinguish between laws and resolutions.
• Reprints were published in 1853, 1854, 1856, 1860.
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=qksUAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106522899
  
• same, http://archive.org/details/asynopticalinde01statgoog
• http://books.google.com/books?id=-m0VAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044053404992
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=G1oVAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044053405007
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=seerAZ6dcjcC  [Berkeley]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t1hh6c67s
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=n20DAAAAQAAJ  [Oxford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=-a1DAAAAcAAJ  [BSB]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=Xs7sdl9pibUC  [ÖNB] (1853, Little, Brown and Company)
  
• http://digital.onb.ac.at/
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112104853967  [Michigan] (1856, Little, Brown and Company)
• Appropriations, Post-Office, p. 114
• Compensation of Public Officers, p. 212-223, esp. p. 217
• Duties, p. 262-285
• Franking Privilege, p. 316-7
• Mail, p. 485
• Post-Office Department, p. 572-579
• Post Riders and Mail Carriers, p. 579
• Stamps, Postage, p. 627
• Treaties, p. 656-716
• Consolidated Index to the Statutes at Large of the United States of America from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1903, Washington, 1906.
  
• Prepared for the Senate Judiciary Committee, by accumulating the indexes up to Volume 32.  Only twenty-five sets were printed (ref, ref).
• vol. 1,
  
• vol. 2,
  
• vol. 3,
  
• vol. 4, S-Z, p. 3529-4473, http://books.google.com/books?id=6iYGAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044103137758
• addenda, A-C, p. 4475
• Library of Congress, Law Library, http://lccn.loc.gov/unk84242614
• Harvard Law School Library, http://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990012302760203941/catalog
• New England Law Library, Boston, http://portia.nesl.edu/record=b260414
• Auditor of the Treasury for the Post-Office Department
• Auditor for Post-Office Department
• Mail Contracts, Mail Transportation, Mails
  
• Post-Office Department
  
• Second Assistant Postmaster-General, p. 3606 (link)
• Second-Class Mail Matter, p. 3607 (link)
  
• Sixth Auditor, Treasury Department, p. 3775-3776 (link)
• Special Delivery, p. 3831 (link)
• Special Facilities, Postal Service, p. 3831 (link)
• Special Postage Stamp, p. 3832 (link)
• Stamp Agencies, ..., Stamps, p. 3844-3852 (link)
• Stationery, p. 3863-3864 (link)
  
• Star Routes, p. 3854 (link)
• Third Assistant Postmaster-General, p. 4106 (link)
• Third-Class Mail Matter, p. 4107 (link)
• Topographer, Post-Office Department, p. 4135-4136 (link)
  
• Treasury Department, p. 4154-4176 (link)
  
• United States Mail Steamship Line, p. 4235 (link)
• Washington, D.C., p. 4330-4335 (link)
• Way Letters, Postal Service, p. 4360 (link)
• Wrappers, Wrapping Paper, p. 4441 (link)
• individual countries, Postal Convention with ...
  
• George Winfield Scott and Middleton G. Beaman, Index Analysis of the Federal Statutes together with a Table of Repeals and Amendments, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1908.
  
• vol. 1, 1873-1907, http://books.google.com/books?id=L4lPAAAAYAAJ  [Princeton]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067733111
  
• General and permanent law in vol. 18-34 of the Statutes at Large, including the Revised Statutes.
  
• Post-Office Department, etc., p. 860-890 (link)
  
• Table of Repeals and Amendments to the Revised Statutes, p. 1311-1330 (link)
  
• Table of Repeals and Amendments to the Statutes at Large, p. 1331-1366 (link)
  
• vol. 2 was not published, it was to have been private laws, etc.
  
• Middleton G. Beaman and A.K. McNamara, Index Analysis of the Federal Statutes (General and Permanent Law) 1789-1873 together with a Table of Repeals and Amendments, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1911, vi + 1146 p.
• http://books.google.com/books?id=04hPAAAAYAAJ  [Princeton]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067733095
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=Xoh1xGQJPysC  [UC Riverside]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210015376500
• http://books.google.com/books?id=m7tGAQAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• General and permanent law in vol. 1-17 of the Statutes at Large.
• Post-Office Department, ... , Postmasters, p. 719-753 (link)
• Table of Repeals and Amendments to the Statutes at Large, p. 1079-1133 (link)
• Popular Names of Statutes, p. 1135-1146 (link)
• Walter H. McClenon and Wilfred C. Gilbert, Index to the Federal Statutes, 1874-1931, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1933, v + 1432 p.
• Headings and Subheadings, http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001163037
• Auditor for Post Office Department, p. 71; Sixth Auditor, p. 962
• Carrying the Mail, p. 131
• Coins and Coinage
• Delivery of Mail Matter, p. 313
  
• Foreign Mail Service, p. 439-441; includes list of postal treaties and conventions
• Franks and Franking Privilege, p. 447
• Letter Carriers, p. 571
  
• Mail, etc., p. 592-596
• Money Order System
  
• Postage, etc., p. 781-799
• Rural Mail Service, p. 920
  
• Stamps, etc., p. 974-976
  
• Table of Repeals and Amendments, Revised Statutes, p. 1201-1264
• Table of Repeals and Amendments, Statutes at Large, p. 1265-1432
• Eugene Nabors, Legislative Reference Checklist: The Key to Legislative Histories from 1789-1903, Littleton (CO) : Rothman, 1982.
• Joshua Tauberer, Bill Numbers for Early American Statutes, http://github.com/unitedstates/nabors
  

• The Acts of Congress from 1789 to 1845, inclusive,
• from US Statutes at Large, Volume 8 (1846)
• (comparison of this edition to previous collections of the laws)  (p. 647-674)
• Relating to the Judiciary  (p. 675-689)
• Relating to Imports and Tonnage  (p. 690-703)
• Relating to the Public Lands  (p. 704-724)
• Relating to the Post-Office of the U.S.  (p. 725-728)
• General Index to vol. 1-8  (p. 731-897)
• Index to Public Statutes  (p. 899-954)

• The Acts of Congress from 1789 to 1845, inclusive,
• from US Statutes at Large, later versions of Volume 1
• (comparison of this edition to previous collections of the laws)  (p. xli-lxviii)
• Relating to the Judiciary  (p. lxix-lxxxiii)
• Relating to Imports and Tonnage  (p. lxxxiv-xcvii)
• Relating to the Public Lands  (p. xcviii-cxviii)
• Relating to the Post-Office of the U.S.  (p. cxix-cxxii)
• same, http://www.rfrajola.com/resources/POpapersIndex.pdf
• Wikisource, transcribed

• Manner of Authenticating Printed Editions of the Laws, Feb. 5, 1791, in American State Papers, Miscellaneous, vol. 1, p. 37 (link).
  
• The Laws of the United States of America, published by authority, Philadelphia : Richard Folwell, etc., 1796-1815.
• A sample of the various printings -- vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5, vol. 6, vol. 7, vol. 8, vol. 9, vol. 10, vol. 11, vol. 12.
• The first collected edition of US laws, under direction of the Secretary of State.
  
• Authorized by An Act for the more general promulgation of the laws of the United States, 3 Mar. 1795, 1 Stat. 443.
  
• Public acts which had expired or were repealed by the time of publication, are only given by title.  Private acts are given only by title in vol. 1-4.
  
• William Graydon, An Abridgement of the Laws of the United States, Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), 1803.
• Post Office and Post Roads, p. 336-357.  References to vol. 1-6 of the Folwell series.
  
• Joseph Story, The Public and General Statutes passed by the Congress of the United States of America, Boston : Wells & Lilly.
• 1827, vol. 1; vol. 2; vol. 3
  
• second ed., 1840, vol. 1; 1839, vol. 2; 1839, vol. 3; 1837, vol. 4; 1848, vol. 5
• Edward Ingersoll, A Digest of the Laws of the United States of America, from March 4th, 1789 to May 15th, 1820, Philadelphia, 1821.
  
• Post Office, and Post Roads, p. 682-698.
• "The list of post-roads established by various acts, I omitted as of merely local and limited interest."
• Edward Ingersoll, An Abridgment of the Acts of Congress Now in Force, Excepting Those of Private and Local Application, Philadelphia, 1825.
  
• Post Office, p. 538-553.
• Thomas F. Gordon, A Digest of the Laws of the United States, Philadelphia.
• 1827.  Post Office, p. 56-67.
• 1837, 2nd ed.  Post Office, p. 80-100.
• 1844, 3rd ed.
• 1851, 4th ed.  Post Office, p. 225-285.
• Frederick C. Brightly, An Analytical Digest of the Laws of the United States.
• vol. 1, 1789-1857, Philadelphia, 1865.  Post Office, p. 757-791.
• vol. 2, 1857-1869, Philadelphia, 1869.  Post Office, p. 491-511.

• Laws of the United States of America, 10 volumes, 1815-1845.
  
• Authorized by An Act authorizing a subscription for the laws of the United States, and for the distribution thereof, 18 Apr. 1814, 3 Stat. 129.
• Philadelphia : John Bioren and W. John Duane, Washington : R.C. Weightman, 1815-1816.  Edited by John B. Colvin.
  
• vol. 1, 1815
• http://books.google.com/books?id=_GpZAAAAYAAJ  [NYPL]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=J-OGvgAACAAJ  [same]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=oG6SjwEACAAJ  [same]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=vvh2vgAACAAJ  [same]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=bMNgAAAAcAAJ  [ÖNB]
• p. 649-658, Origin of the General Post Office of the United States (link), 26 July 1775 to 20 Sep. 1786.
• vol. 2, 1815
• http://books.google.com/books?id=UWtZAAAAYAAJ  [NYPL]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=I1krAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• vol. 3, 1815
• http://books.google.com/books?id=pWtZAAAAYAAJ  [NYPL]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=XVkrAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• vol. 4, 1816
• http://books.google.com/books?id=zGdZAAAAYAAJ  [NYPL]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=NlArAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=o8NgAAAAcAAJ  [ÖNB]
• vol. 5, index, 1815
• http://books.google.com/books?id=7GtZAAAAYAAJ  [NYPL]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=jFkrAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• p. 440-452, Post Office, Post Roads (link)
  
• Continued by others
• vol. 6, 1822, Washington : Davis & Force.  Edited by John B. Colvin.
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112104853348  [Michigan]
• vol. 7, 1827, 1828, Washington : William A. Davis
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112104853330  [Michigan]
• vol. 8, 1835, Washington : W.A. Davis
• http://books.google.com/books?id=eVErAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=XGhZAAAAYAAJ  [NYPL]
• vol. 9, 1839, Washington : printed by order of the Congress of the United States
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112104853272  [Michigan]
• vol. 10, 1845, Washington : J. & G.S. Gideon
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=IForAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• Compiled by Benjamin B. French, Clerk H.R.U.S., under a Resolution of the House
  
• Samuel Burch, General Index to the Laws of the United States of America, 1828; published with vol. 7.
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=VzpBAQAAMAAJ  [NYPL]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=f_87AAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=pVkrAQAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=SwkvAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]

• Digital Resources on the Internet Useful for Researching the United States Post Office Department, Mike Ludeman, 2015.
• http://www.texascovers.org/featured-articles/
• Richard Frajola, Postal History Resources, www.rfrajola.com
• United States Domestic Postage Rates, 1789 to 1956, P.O. Dept. Publication 15.
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4178254  [Berkeley]
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112055394107  [Illinois]
• Appendix A, Abstracts of laws and orders affecting rates of postage
• Appendix B, Abstracts of laws relating to free transmission of certain mail matter
• previous edition, 1789-1930
• R.P. Goodwin, Laws of Congress governing the Post-Office Department and the Postal Service, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1907.
• http://archive.org/details/lawsofcongressgo00unit  [LoC]
• excerpts from laws, to 2 Mar. 1906, p. 3-151
• reference index, Revised Statutes, Statutes at Large, and Postal Laws and Regulations, p. 153-164
• index, p. 165-245
• Postal Laws and Regulations, various years, 1794-1948.
• http://www.uspostalbulletins.com/, 1798, 1808, 1810, 1817, 1818, 1820, 1825, 1828, 1832, 1839, 1843, 1845, 1847, 1852, 1857, 1866, 1873, 1879, 1887, 1893, etc.
• Timeline of Philatelic Literature, 1830-1875, search for the keyword US-Postal-Laws
  
• American Philatelic Research Library
• Google Books, HathiTrust, Internet Archive
• 1879, Appendix, An Abstract of the Former Postal Laws of the United States, p. 435-454 (link).
• 1887, Appendix, Postal and Money-Order Conventions concluded between the United States and Foreign Countries, iv + 178 p. (link).
• Bills and Resolutions, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwhb.html
• American State Papers, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsp.html
• vol. 27, Part VII, Post Office Department; 1790 to 1833, published 1834
• http://books.google.com/books?id=cAdFAQAAMAAJ  [Berkeley]
• US Serial Set, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwss.html
• House Journal, 1789-1875, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwhj.html
  
• Senate Journal, 1789-1875, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsj.html
• General Index of the Journals of Congress, 1789-1809, 1809-1821
  
• Senate Executive Journal, 1789-1875, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwej.html
  
• Annals of Congress, 1789-1824, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwaclink.html
• Register of Debates in Congress, 1824-1837, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwrdlink.html
• Congressional Globe, 1833-1873, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwcglink.html
• Congressional Record, 1873-1875, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwcrlink.html
• Congressional Record (Bound Edition), 1873-2015, http://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/crecb
• Alonzo W. Church and Henry H. Smith, Tables showing the Contents of the several volumes comprising the Annals of Congress, Congressional Debates, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, Statutes at Large, U.S. Supreme Court Reports, and Succession of Supreme Court Justices, arranged by years and Congresses, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1892.
• http://books.google.com/books?id=YucZAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
  
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hl4um6
  
• Tables of and Annotated Index to the Congressional Series of United States Public Documents, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1902.
• http://books.google.com/books?id=YV8gAAAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
• same, http://archive.org/details/tablesandannota00docugoog
• http://books.google.com/books?id=xCoiAQAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=cyd1zWNm0_kC  [Illinois]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112104121600
• Post Office, etc., p. 579-596
• Congressional Session dates, House and Senate Journals in the Serial Set, p. 767-769
• HathiTrust US Federal Government Documents Registry, http://www.hathitrust.org/usdocs_registry/
• Charles Evans et al., American Bibliography, 14 vol., 1903-1959.
  
• Covers the period 1639-1800.  Cited as (Evans number).  Digital versions of the texts are available from Readex/Newsbank as America's Historical Imprints.
• Joseph Sabin, etc., Bibliotheca Americana, A Dictionary of Books relating to America, 29 vol., New York, 1868-1892, 1928-1936.
• Cited as (Sabin number).  See the table in the following.
  
• Internet Archive, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Sabin
  
• HathiTrust, http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001167862
  
• Google Books, editions:uAVC5GK6nbQC, editions:ofwXaHavtsIC
  

• US Statutes at Large, Volume 1 (1845)
• The Declaration of Independence, 1776  (p. 1-3)
• Articles of Confederation, 1778  (p. 4-9)
• The Constitution of the United States, 1787  (p. 10-20)
• Amendments to the Constitution (to 1845, Articles 1 - 12)  (p. 21-22)
• US Statutes at Large, Volume 18 (part 1, 2nd ed., 1878).
• The Declaration of Independence, 1776  (p. 3-6)
• Articles of Confederation, 1777  (p. 7-12)
• The Northwest Territorial Government, 1787  (p. 13-16)
• The Constitution of the United States, 1787  (p. 17-28)
• Amendments to the Constitution (to 1873, Articles 1 - 15)  (p. 28-35)

• National Archives, America's Founding Documents
• Scans and transcripts of the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights
  
• Documentary History of the Constitution of the United States of America, 1786-1870, Washington : Dept. of State, 1894-1905.
• vol. 1, 1894, http://books.google.com/books?id=ewcoSLgPKSEC
• http://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto01unit
  
• vol. 2, 1894, http://books.google.com/books?id=CLZWAAAAYAAJ
• http://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto02unit
• vol. 3, 1900, http://books.google.com/books?id=ZrVWAAAAYAAJ
• http://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto03unit
  
• vol. 4, 1905, http://books.google.com/books?id=vTBIAQAAMAAJ
• http://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto04unit
  
• vol. 5, 1905, http://books.google.com/books?id=hbZWAAAAYAAJ
• http://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto05unit
  
• reprinted, 1965, vol. 1-5, http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100883906
• Francis Newton Thorpe, The Constitutional History of the United States, Chicago : Callaghan & Co., 1901.
  
• vol. 1, 1765-1788, http://books.google.com/books?id=xrjQR-UOLsIC
  
• vol. 2, 1788-1861, http://books.google.com/books?id=Lew9AAAAIAAJ
  
• vol. 3, 1861-1895, http://books.google.com/books?id=gLo6AQAAMAAJ
  
• Constitution of the United States of America, Analysis and Interpretation [Constitution Annotated, CONAN]
• Includes notes on Supreme Court decisions.
• http://www.govinfo.gov/help/conan
• http://www.govinfo.gov/collection/constitution-annotated
  
• http://constitution.congress.gov
• http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan
  
• Cornell Univ. Law School, Legal Information Institute, Mar. 2019, How CONAN helps people understand the Constitution, and no, we don't mean the barbarian.

• Ben: Perley Poore, ed., The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the States, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1877, 1878 (2nd ed.).
• Part I, p. 1 - 1020, Alabama - Michigan; Table of Contents
  
• Part II, p. 1021 - 2050, Minnesota - Wisconsin; Index
  
• Francis Newton Thorpe, ed., The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the States, Territories, and Colonies Now Or Heretofore Forming the United States of America, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1909.
  
• vol. 1, p. i-xxxv, 1-648, http://books.google.com/books?id=-3iHAAAAMAAJ  [Michigan]
  
• Table of Contents for all 7 volumes (this part is essential for complete information)
  
• List of Authorities
• United States, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, Amendments, Ratifications
  
• Commissions, Charters and Plans of Union, 1492-1754
• Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia
  
• vol. 2, p. 649-1262, http://books.google.com/books?id=In-HAAAAMAAJ
• Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Indian Territory, Iowa, Kansas
• vol. 3, p. 1263-1924, http://books.google.com/books?id=u4WHAAAAMAAJ
  
• Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts
• vol. 4, p. 1925-2532, http://books.google.com/books?id=L56HAAAAMAAJ
• Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire
• vol. 5, p. 2533-3190, http://books.google.com/books?id=9reHAAAAMAAJ
• New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Panama Canal Zone, Pennsylvania, Philippine Islands
• vol. 6, p. 3191-3782, http://books.google.com/books?id=W72HAAAAMAAJ
• Porto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Tutuila (Samoa), Utah, Vermont
• For notes on Frankland, see Tennessee.
  
• vol. 7, p. 3783-4344, http://books.google.com/books?id=H9SHAAAAMAAJ
• Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
• Appendix, Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, Oklahoma
  
• Index, p. 4345-4430
• William F. Swindler, ed., Sources and Documents of United States Constitutions, Dobbs Ferry (NY) : Oceana Publications, 1973–1988, 11 vol. in 12.
• Check your local library - no digital versions available.

• Senate Manual, 2013-2014, most recent edition, http://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/SMAN
• Historical section
• Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation, Historical Background
  
• Ordinance of 1787
• Constitution of the United States of America, Amendments, Index
• The Historical Background section is repeated from an extended footnote at 18 Stat. 17.
  
• Statistics section
• Ratification of the Constitution, States Admitted into the Union
• House Rules and Manual, 2019-2020, most recent edition, http://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/hman
• The Constitution

• The Statutes at Large (mostly) follow a chronological order.  The Revised Statutes, started in 1875, follow a subject/topic order with references back to the Statutes at Large.  The United States Code, started in 1926, replaced the Revised Statutes.  Private acts, and temporary acts, such as appropriations, only appear in the Statutes at Large.
• Development of the Revised Statutes was authorized by the Acts of 27 June 1866, 14 Stat. 74, and 4 May 1870, 16 Stat. 96.  The work was restarted under the Act of 3 Mar. 1873, 17 Stat. 579.  The Revised Statutes form a single Act, approved 22 June 1874 (ref, ref), first published with volume 18 of the Statutes at Large in 1875, with a second edition in 1878 (ref).
• Supplement to the Revised Statutes, 1874-1881, vol. 1, 1881
• Supplement to the Revised Statutes, 1874-1891, vol. 1, 1891; vol. 2, 1892-1901
• Compiled Statutes of the United States, 1913, St. Paul : West Publishing, 1914.
  
• vol. 1, http://books.google.com/books?id=L-Y4AAAAIAAJ
• The Post Office Department, Title IX (link)
• vol. 2, http://books.google.com/books?id=rtoZAAAAYAAJ
  
• vol. 3, http://books.google.com/books?id=-90ZAAAAYAAJ
  
• The Postal Service, Title XLVI (link)
  
• vol. 4, http://books.google.com/books?id=zds4AAAAIAAJ
  
• vol. 5, http://books.google.com/books?id=zhE5AAAAIAAJ
• Supplement, 1917, http://books.google.com/books?id=DAgaAAAAYAAJ
• http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009893593
  
• US Government Publishing Office, United States Code
  
• The US Code was first published as vol. 44, part 1, of the Statutes at Large, 1925 (link).
• Title 5, Chap. 6, Post Office Department, p. 48-50 (link).
• Title 18, Chap. 8, Offenses Against Postal Service, p. 483-490 (link).
  
• Title 39, The Postal Service, p. 1235-1286 (link).
• Index, Postal Service, etc., p. 2366-2377 (link).
  
• US Senate, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
• Title 39, United States Code, Prior to the Postal Reorganization Act, May 1973
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015082348031  [Michigan]
  
• US House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States Code
• Title 39, Postal Service
  
• Table II, relating the Revised Statutes to the United States Code
  
• Table III, relating the Statutes at Large to the Revised Statutes and United States Code
• The page images here are remarkably clear, with URLs like http://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=1&page=1
  
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 39, Post Office Department, Postal Service
  
• Wikipedia, Code of Federal Regulations
  
• 1949, http://books.google.com/books?id=m0nixTC1e4YC  [Ohio State]
• 1962, http://books.google.com/books?id=Ksb5AWVx-AcC  [Ohio State]
  
• 1966, http://books.google.com/books?id=dfc6AAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
  
• 1968, http://books.google.com/books?id=9PVf6TibbogC  [Ohio State]
• current edition, http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR
• United States Code Annotated, Title 39, Postal Service, Thomson/West, 2007, with annual supplements.
• Now part of Thomson Reuters.  The former web addresses west.thomson.com, www.westlaw.com, will redirect.
• This volume is of little use for information prior to the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970.
  
• Library of Congress
• Andrew Winston, The Revised Statutes of the United States: Predecessor to the U.S. Code.
• Law Librarians' Society, United States Statutes and the United States Code
• United States Statutes: Historical Outline and Source Notes
• Wikipedia
• Revised Statutes of the United States
• United States Code
• Wikisource
• United States Code

Treaty Collections

• Treaties and Other International Acts Series, since 1945
• http://www.state.gov/tias/
• United States Treaties and Other International Agreements, 1950 to 1982
  
• Charles I. Bevans, Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776-1949, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1968-1976.
• http://www.loc.gov/law/help/us-treaties/bevans.php
• http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001152265
  
• vol. 1, Multilateral, 1776 - 1917, http://books.google.com/books?id=_80WAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 2, Multilateral, 1918 - 1930, http://books.google.com/books?id=uLCOAAAAMAAJ
• vol. 3, Multilateral, 1931 - 1945, http://books.google.com/books?id=Q7aOAAAAMAAJ
• vol. 4, Multilateral, 1946 - 1949, http://books.google.com/books?id=0M8WAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 5, Afghanistan - Burma, http://books.google.com/books?id=3s8WAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 6, Canada - Czechoslovakia, http://books.google.com/books?id=79AWAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 7, Denmark - France, http://books.google.com/books?id=htEWAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 8, Germany - Iran, http://books.google.com/books?id=i0Q6AQAAIAAJ
• vol. 9, Iraq - Muscat, http://books.google.com/books?id=U84WAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 10, Nepal - Peru, http://books.google.com/books?id=EM8WAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 11, Philippines - United Arab Republic, http://books.google.com/books?id=vCxAAQAAMAAJ
• vol. 12, United Kingdom - Zanzibar, http://books.google.com/books?id=yc8WAAAAYAAJ
• vol. 13, General Index, http://books.google.com/books?id=BpfKd72KBLcC
• Postal Matters, p. 89-90.
  
• David Hunter Miller, Treaties and other International Acts of the United States of America, Washington, 1931-1948.
  
• vol. 1, Plan, Lists, Tables, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112104106239
• p. 7, Postal Conventions are generally not included, but this is a good summary. (link)
• p. 33-35, Statutes at Large (a good summary) (link); p. 46-49, further (link)
  
• p. 39-54, Bibliography of United States Treaty Collections (link)
  
• vol. 2, 1776 - 1818, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112104106221
  
• vol. 3, 1819 - 1835, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112104105421
  
• vol. 4, 1836 - 1846, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112101711635
  
• vol. 5, 1846 - 1852, 1799, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112040219443
  
• vol. 6, 1852 - 1855, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112101711627
  
• vol. 7, 1855 - 1858, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112079547938
  
• vol. 8, 1858 - 1863, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112079547946
• William M. Malloy, Treaties, Conventions, International Acts, Protocols, and Agreements Between the United States of American and Other Powers, 1776 - 1909, Washington, 1910.
  
• vol. 1, Algiers - Muscat, http://books.google.com/books?id=HWsgAAAAYAAJ
  
• vol. 2, Nassau - Zanzibar, International Conventions and Acts, http://books.google.com/books?id=PtgnAAAAYAAJ
  
• vol. 3, 1910 - 1923, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015019111544
  
• vol. 4, 1923 - 1937, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015031615134
• Treaties and Conventions Concluded Between the United States of America and Other Powers since July 4, 1776, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1871.  Senate Ex. Doc. 36, 41st Congress, 3d Session.  Serial Set vol. 1441.
  
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3985141
  
• Without postal conventions.
  
• Foreign Relations of the United States, US State Department, since 1861, http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments
• Use of Franking Privilege ..., 1952, http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v03/d63
  

• Postal Conventions, http://www.uspcs.org/stamps-covers/the-foreign-mails/the-postal-conventions/
• selections from the US Statutes at Large, vol. 16-18, with one more from the US Serial Set (Bremen)

Inauguration Dates		President	Congresses	Volumes
30 Apr. 1789	4 Mar. 1793	George Washington	1, 2, 3, 4	1	6 7, 8
4 Mar. 1797		John Adams	5, 6	1, 2
4 Mar. 1801	4 Mar. 1805	Thomas Jefferson	7, 8, 9, 10	2
4 Mar. 1809	4 Mar. 1813	James Madison	11, 12, 13, 14	2, 3
4 Mar. 1817	4 Mar. 1821	James Monroe	15, 16, 17, 18	3, 4
4 Mar. 1825		John Quincy Adams	19, 20	4
4 Mar. 1829	4 Mar. 1833	Andrew Jackson	21, 22, 23, 24	4, 5
4 Mar. 1837		Martin Van Buren	25, 26	5
4 Mar. 1841		William Henry Harrison (1)	27	5
6 Apr. 1841		John Tyler	27, 28	5
4 Mar. 1845		James K. Polk	29, 30	9
4 Mar. 1849		Zachary Taylor (1) (2)	31	9
10 July 1850		Millard Fillmore	31, 32	9, 10
4 Mar. 1853		Franklin Pierce	33, 34	10, 11
4 Mar. 1857		James Buchanan	35, 36	11, 12
4 Mar. 1861	4 Mar. 1865	Abraham Lincoln (1)	37, 38, 39	12, 13, 14
15 Apr. 1865		Andrew Johnson	39, 40	14, 15
4 Mar. 1869	4 Mar. 1873	Ulysses S. Grant	41, 42, 43, 44	16, 17, 18, 19
4 Mar. 1877		Rutherford B. Hayes (2)	45, 46	20, 21
4 Mar. 1881		James A. Garfield (1)	47	22
20 Sep. 1881		Chester A. Arthur	47, 48	22, 23
4 Mar. 1885		Grover Cleveland	49, 50	24, 25
4 Mar. 1889		Benjamin Harrison	51, 52	26, 27
4 Mar. 1893		Grover Cleveland	53, 54	28, 29
4 Mar. 1897	4 Mar. 1901	William McKinley (1)	55, 56, 57	30, 31, 32
14 Sep. 1901	4 Mar. 1905	Theodore Roosevelt	57, 58, 59, 60	32, 33, 34, 35
		etc.

(1) died in office
(2) Mar. 4 being a Sunday, sworn in the following day

States are noted here with the date when the Constitution was ratified (first 13) or when the state was admitted to the Union with representation in Congress.  Some states were first admitted conditionally, while the Confederate states were readmitted conditionally.  We list acts, resolutions and proclamations to enable and establish a state government, admit it to the Union, and extend the existing laws of the Union to the new state.

Territories are noted here with the date when their government became official.  We list acts, resolutions and proclamations to organize a territorial government, with references to the initial purchase or annexation, and pre-territorial status.

Major boundary changes for states and territories after 1776 are included.  For the District of Columbia, see 1 Stat. 130, 16 July 1790, etc.  The various acts prescribe boundaries between the states and territories, which we quote or summarize here, but they often do not correspond to "the facts on the ground", due to imprecise geographic descriptions and knowledge, meandering rivers, and inaccurate surveys.  When in doubt, consult Van Zandt, 1976, cited below.

The phrase "from and after" is abbreviated "f/a".

Territory	State	Provenance	Territory	State
Alabama	Alabama	(4), (7a)	25 Sep. 1817	14 Dec. 1819
Alaska	Alaska	(12)	24 Aug. 1912	3 Jan. 1959
Arizona	Arizona	(10), (11)	24 Feb. 1863	14 Feb. 1912
Arkansas	Arkansas	(5b)	"f/a" 4 July 1819	15 June 1836
California Republic	California	(10)	---	9 Sep. 1850
Colorado	Colorado	(5b), (5c), (7d), (8), (10)	28 Feb. 1861	1 Aug. 1876
---	Connecticut	(1a)	---	9 Jan. 1788
---	Delaware	(1a)	---	7 Dec. 1787
Florida	Florida	(7a), (7b)	30 Mar. 1822	3 Mar. 1845
---	Georgia	(1a)	---	2 Jan. 1788
Hawaii	Hawaii	(13)	12 Aug. 1898	21 Aug. 1959
Idaho	Idaho	(9)	3 Mar. 1863	3 July 1890
Illinois	Illinois	(2)	"f/a" 1 Mar. 1809	3 Dec. 1818
Indiana	Indiana	(2)	"f/a" 4 July 1800	11 Dec. 1816
Iowa	Iowa	(5b)	"f/a" 3 July 1838	28 Dec. 1846
Kansas	Kansas	(5b), (5c), (8)	30 May 1854	29 Jan. 1861
---	Kentucky	(1c)	---	1 June 1792
Orleans	Louisiana	(5a), (7a), (7c)	1 Oct. 1804	30 Apr. 1812
---	Maine	(1d)	---	15 Mar. 1820
---	Maryland	(1a)	---	28 Apr. 1788
---	Massachusetts	(1a)	---	6 Feb. 1788
Michigan	Michigan	(2)	"f/a" 30 June 1805	26 Jan. 1837
Minnesota	Minnesota	(2), (5b), (6)	"f/a" 3 Mar. 1849	11 May 1858
Mississippi	Mississippi	(4), (7a)	7 May 1798	10 Dec. 1817
Louisiana, Missouri	Missouri	(5b)	1 Oct. 1804	10 Aug. 1821
Montana	Montana	(5b), (9)	26 May 1864	8 Nov. 1889
Nebraska	Nebraska	(5b)	30 May 1854	1 Mar. 1867
Nevada	Nevada	(10)	2 Mar. 1861	31 Oct. 1864
---	New Hampshire	(1a)	---	21 June 1788
---	New Jersey	(1a)	---	18 Dec. 1787
New Mexico	New Mexico	(5b), (5c), (8), (10), (11)	9 Sep. 1850	6 Jan. 1912
---	New York	(1a)	---	26 July 1788
---	North Carolina	(1a)	---	21 Nov. 1789
Dakota	North Dakota	(5b), (6)	2 Mar. 1861	2 Nov. 1889
Northwest	Ohio	(2)	13 July 1787	1 Mar. 1803
Oklahoma	Oklahoma	(5b), (5c), (8)	2 May 1890	16 Nov. 1907
Oregon	Oregon	(9)	14 Aug. 1848	14 Feb. 1859
---	Pennsylvania	(1a)	---	12 Dec. 1787
---	Rhode Island	(1a)	---	29 May 1790
---	South Carolina	(1a)	---	23 May 1788
Dakota	South Dakota	(5b), (6)	2 Mar. 1861	2 Nov. 1889
Southwest	Tennessee	(3)	26 May 1790	1 June 1796
Republic of Texas	Texas	(5b), (5c), (8)	---	29 Dec. 1845
Utah	Utah	(10)	9 Sep. 1850	4 Jan. 1896
Vermont Republic	Vermont	(1b)	---	4 Mar. 1791
---	Virginia	(1a)	---	25/26 June 1788
Washington	Washington	(9)	2 Mar. 1853	11 Nov. 1889
---	West Virginia	(1e)	---	20 June 1863
Wisconsin	Wisconsin	(2)	"f/a" 3 July 1836	29 May 1848
Wyoming	Wyoming	(5b), (5c), (8), (9), (10)	25 July 1868	10 July 1890

• (1) Thirteen original colonies, plus their claims, as agreed with Britain by treaty, 1783
• (1a) Connecticut, ..., Virginia, declared independent, 1776
  
• (1b) Vermont, 1791; declared independent, 1777
  
• (1c) Kentucky, 1792, from Virginia
• (1d) Maine, 1820, from Massachusetts
• (1e) West Virginia, 1863, from Virginia
  
• (2) Territory of the United States, northwest of the River Ohio; 1787 and 1789; Northwest Territory
• British and Colonial/State claims relinquished 1781-1786
• Indiana Territory, 1800
• enlarged from Northwest Territory, 1803
• Michigan Territory, 1805
• enlarged from Illinois Territory, Indiana Territory, 1818
• enlarged from Missouri Territory, 1834
• Wisconsin Territory, 1836
• Iowa Territory, 1838; Iowa, 1846; balance to Minnesota Territory, 1849
• Wisconsin, 1848; balance to Minnesota Territory, 1849
• Minnesota Territory, 1849; Minnesota, 1858; balance to Dakota Territory, 1861
• Michigan, 1837
• Illinois Territory, 1809; Illinois, 1818; balance to Michigan Territory
• Indiana, 1816; balance to Michigan Territory, 1818
• Ohio, 1803; balance of Northwest Territory to Indiana Territory
• (3) Territory of the United States, south of the River Ohio; 1790; Southwest Territory
• North Carolina claim relinquished 1789-1790
• Tennessee, 1796
• (4) Mississippi Territory, 1798
  
• (4a) Spanish claim relinquished 1795, territory established 1798
  
• (4b) Georgia claim relinquished 1802, territory enlarged 1804
  
• (7a) part of West Florida annexed 1812 (disputed by Spain)
  
• Mississippi, 1817
• Alabama Territory, 1817; Alabama, 1819
• (5) Louisiana Purchase, from France, 1803
  
• (5a) Territory of Orleans, 1804; Louisiana, 1812
• (7a) part of West Florida annexed 1812 (disputed by Spain)
  
• (5b) District of Louisiana, 1804; Territory of Louisiana, 1805; Missouri Territory, 1812
• Arkansas Territory, 1819; reduced 1824, 1828, to Indian country; Arkansas, 1836
• Missouri, 1821; balance of Missouri Territory unorganized
• eastern part to Michigan Territory, 1834 (by Act of 28 June 1834)
• western part to Indian country, 1834 (by Act of 30 June 1834), unorganized
• Kansas Territory, 1854; Kansas, 1861; balance to Colorado Territory
  
• Nebraska Territory, 1854
• parts to Colorado Territory, from Washington Territory, 1861
  
• Dakota Territory, 1861; eastern part from Minnesota Territory
• part to Idaho Territory, 1863
• N. Dakota, S. Dakota, 1889
• Nebraska, 1867; addition from Dakota Territory, 1882
  
• Oklahoma Territory, 1890; Oklahoma, 1907, with balance of Indian country
• (5c) overlapping claims with Spain/Mexico/Texas, ceded to Spain, 1819
• all returned to US from Republic of Texas, 1845
  
• (5d) above the 49th parallel, ceded to Britain, 1818; now part of Alberta and Saskatchewan
• (6) Red River Basin (Red River of the North) below the 49th parallel, ceded from Britain, 1818
• added to Missouri Territory, then to Michigan Territory in 1834
• (7) Ceded from Spain, 1819
• (7a) West Florida, parts added to Louisiana and Mississippi Territory, 1812; balance to Florida Territory, 1822
  
• (7b) East Florida, Florida Territory, 1822; Florida, 1845
• (7c) Border adjustment with Spain/Mexico/Texas, added to Louisiana
• (7d) Border adjustment with Spain/Mexico/Texas, now in Colorado
  
• (8) Republic of Texas, annexed 1 Mar. 1845
  
• Texas, 1845
• 1850, balance ultimately to Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming
• 1896, Greer County transferred from Texas to Oklahoma
  
• (9) Oregon country, by agreement with Britain, 1818, 1846
• Oregon Territory, 1848
  
• Washington Territory, 1853
• part to Nebraska Territory, 1861
  
• Idaho Territory, 1863; parts from Dakota Territory, Nebraska Territory
  
• Montana Territory, 1864; Montana, 1889
  
• Wyoming Territory, 1868; Wyoming, 1890
• Idaho, 1890
• Oregon, 1859; balance to Washington Territory
• (10) Ceded from Mexico, 1848
• California, 1850
• Utah Territory, 1850
• Nevada Territory, 1861, enlarged 1862; Nevada, 1864, enlarged 1866
• Colorado Territory, 1861; Colorado, 1876
• parts also from Nebraska Territory, Kansas Territory
  
• Utah, 1896
  
• New Mexico Territory, 1850; part to Colorado Territory, 1861; New Mexico, 1912
  
• Arizona Territory, 1863; part to Nevada, 1866; Arizona, 1912
  
• (11) Gadsden Purchase, from Mexico, 1853
• added to New Mexico Territory, 1854
• (12) Alaska, purchased from Russia, 1867
• (13) Kingdom of Hawaii (1810), then Republic of Hawaii (1893); annexed 7 July 1898

Provisional or extralegal states and territories, not recognized by the Federal Government, include Deseret (1849-51) in the vicinity of Utah; Franklin or Frankland (1784-89) in the vicinity of Tennessee; Jefferson (1859-61), in the vicinity of Colorado; and several smaller units not described here.  More recent attempts at statehood include Sequoyah (1905), now part of Oklahoma; Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (both continuing).

• Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, cited above.
• Clarence Edwin Carter, The Territorial Papers of the United States, Washington : Government Printing Office, 28 vol., 1934-1975.
• vol. 1, General; 2-3, Northwest of the River Ohio; 4, South of the River Ohio; 5-6, Mississippi; 7-8, Indiana; 9, Orleans; 10-12, Michigan; 13-15, Louisiana-Missouri; 16-17, Illinois; 18, Alabama; 19-21, Arkansas; 22-26, Florida; 27-28, Wisconsin.
  
• http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000495370
• See also, State Department records, http://catalog.archives.gov/id/1226295
• Chronological List of Territories, 1934 (link); corrected, 1972 (link).
• Post Office and Postal Service information is included; see the index to each volume.
• Peter B. Sheridan, Admission of states into the union after the original thirteen : a brief history and analysis of the statehood process, Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Apr. 1985 (PDF); Congressional Record, 22 Apr. 1985, vol. 131, part 7, p. 8554-8564 (link).
• Benjamin F. Shearer, ed., The Uniting States, The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United States, Westport (CT) : Greenwood Press, 2004, 3 vol.
• Dr. Carroll Chase and Richard McP. Cabeen, The First Hundred Years of United States Territorial Postmarks, 1787/1887, State College (PA) : American Philatelic Society, 1950; reprinted, Lawrence (MA) : Quarterman Publications, 1980.
• Scott 2019 Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers, Sidney (Ohio) : Amos Media, 2018, p. 44A-45A.  Derived from Chase and Cabeen.
• I.W. Andrews, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Their Admission into the Union, Magazine of American History, Oct. 1887, vol. 18, p. 306-316 (link).
• Thomas Donaldson, The Public Domain, Its History, with Statistics, Washington : Government Printing Office.
• Summaries of the legal process toward creation of each territory and state, including treaties, petitions, memorials, proposals, and failed bills.  Be careful, there are many small and a few large errors.
  
• 1880, http://books.google.com/books?id=ZJzm5PtTY9gC
• 1881, http://books.google.com/books?id=SWUFAAAAQAAJ
• 1884, http://books.google.com/books?id=gqBDAQAAMAAJ
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924030043347
  
• Franklin K. Van Zandt, Boundaries of the United States and the Several States, Washington : Government Printing Office, 1976.
• http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp909
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=skxAAAAAIAAJ
  
• Previous editions, various titles and authors, 1885, 1900, 1904, 1923, 1930, 1966
  
• John H. Long, ed., Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, Chicago : The Newberry Library, 2010.
  
• http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/
• http://www.newberry.org/atlas-historical-county-boundaries
• Lincoln Mullen, Historical Boundaries of the United States, 1783-1912, 2014.
  
• http://lincolnmullen.com/projects/us-boundaries/
• Wikipedia
  
• Admission to the Union
• List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union
  
• List of states and territories of the United States
  
• Organized incorporated territories of the United States
• Historic regions of the United States
  
• Territorial evolution of the United States has considerable detail not given here.
• United States Expansion, a very useful overview map.
• State Cessions
• Category: Borders of U.S. States
  
• Slave states and free states.  After 1865, balance or advantage between political parties became the norm.
  
• Wikimedia Commons
  
• Territorial evolution maps of the United States, 1789 to 1959; see the bottom of the page to select specific dates
  

• Journal, Acts and Proceedings of the Convention, assembled at Philadelphia, Monday, May 14, and dissolved Monday, September 17, 1787, which formed the Constitution of the United States.
• http://books.google.com/books?id=JGE9AAAAYAAJ  [Princeton]
• http://archive.org/details/journalactsproce00unit  [Boston PL]
• Draft versions of the Postal Clause, see p. 75, 123, 220, 256, 261, 357, 495.
• George W. Paschal, The Constitution of the United States Defined and Carefully Annotated, Washington : Morrison, 1868.
• Post Office and Post Roads, p. 119-121.

• Wikipedia, Enumerated Powers, Postal Clause
• Constitution Annotated, Article I
• Cornell University Law School, Legal Information Institute, CRS Annotated Constitution, Postal Power
• Justia.com, CRS Annotated Constitution, Postal Power
• CRS = Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
• The Heritage [Foundation] Guide to the Constitution, Post Office
• The Founders' Constitution, additional references
• postalnews.com, Postal Myths

• George L. Priest, The History of the Postal Monopoly in the United States, Journal of Law and Economics, 1975
• James I. Campbell, Jr., A brief history of the United States postal monopoly law
• US Post Office Dept., Office of the Solicitor, The Private Express Statutes.
• July 1934, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hnlc6a  [Harvard]
• 2nd ed., Sep. 1937
  
• 3rd ed., Sep. 1940, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112088275208  [Illinois]
• US Post Office Dept., Office of the Solicitor, Restrictions on Transportation of Letters, The Private Express Statutes and Interpretations.
• 4th ed., Jan. 1952, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark:/13960/t2q60b35t  [Illinois]
• 4th ed., June 1955, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112088275224  [Illinois]
• USPS, Publication 542, Understanding the Private Express Statutes, June 2014 (link)
  

• Wikipedia, United States Post Office Department
• Wikipedia, United States Postmaster General
• US Postmasters General, 1789 - 1875

• Highlights
• Organizational acts, on a temporary basis, 22 Sep. 1789, 4 Aug. 1790, 3 Mar. 1791
• Organizational acts, on a permanent basis, 20 Feb. 1792, 8 May 1794, 2 Mar. 1799, 30 Apr. 1810, 3 Mar. 1825
• Flogging abolished in the Navy, 28 Sep. 1850
• Lowlights
• Only free white persons may carry the mails, 3 May 1802, 30 Apr. 1810, 3 Mar. 1825; repealed, 3 Mar. 1865
• For want of a 5-cent revenue stamp ... , 27 July 1868
• The Comstock Act, 3 Mar. 1873

• Pages (page number in the current volume of the Statutes at Large), to a web page at LoC, or a page in Google Books, etc.
  
• Ch. (chapter number), to a PDF at LLoC
  
• No. (resolution number), to a web page at LoC, or a page in Google Books, etc.
• additional references or secondary sources, as needed

• Some information about commemorative postage stamps and postal cards is included, when the topic directly relates to a legal event.  Links are given to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's Arago site, and to Mystic Stamp Company's catalogue.  Scott catalogue numbers are available from each of these.
  
• http://arago.si.edu/category_2027478.html
• http://www.mysticstamp.com/
• Wikipedia, Territories of the United States on stamps

• Everything here is plain text, so use whatever tools your browser provides, typically control-F or command-F, then control-G or command-G to repeat.  The links are hidden from normal text search.
• This is not a database, so you can't do things like "find chapter 20".  Instead, go to the table for the proper volume for that congress or year, and scroll down until you see what you are looking for.  If it's not there, try the table of contents for that volume, or the LLoC page for that congress.  If you only know the chapter number, you are probably doomed to searching all the LLoC pages.
  
• Dates are written in the style of 20 Feb. 1792.  The month is given as a three-letter abbreviation, except for May, June and July.  Purists will argue that the proper abbreviation is Sept. not Sep., but we will pay them no heed.  If you are uncertain of the day, but confident of the month and year, simply search for Feb. 1792.  Note that often the date cited for some act is the effective date, while the tables here are organized by the approval date; the effective date can be found in the accompanying remarks.
  

Congress	special sessions	regular sessions	LoC	LLoC
1st		4 Mar. 1789 – 29 Sep. 1789 4 Jan. 1790 – 12 Aug. 1790 6 Dec. 1790 – 3 Mar. 1791	p. 23 p. 99 p. 188	pdf, 27.9 MB p. i-cxxii, 1-225
2nd	4 Mar. 1791	24 Oct. 1791 – 8 May 1792 5 Nov. 1792 – 2 Mar. 1793	p. 226 p. 287	pdf, 10.0 MB p. 226-340
3rd	4 Mar. 1793	2 Dec. 1793 – 9 June 1794 3 Nov. 1794 – 3 Mar. 1795	p. 341 p. 403	pdf, 8.8 MB p. 341-444
4th	8 – 26 June 1795	7 Dec. 1795 – 1 June 1796 5 Dec. 1796 – 3 Mar. 1797	p. 445 p. 496	pdf, 7.5 MB p. 445-535
5th	4 Mar. 1797 17 – 19 July 1798	15 May 1797 – 10 July 1797 13 Nov. 1797 – 16 July 1798 3 Dec. 1798 – 3 Mar. 1799	p. 520 p. 536 p. 613	pdf, 18.4 MB p. 536-755

House Journal, Senate Journal, Senate Executive Journal, Annals of Congress
As 3 Mar. 1793 was a Sunday, the House and Senate adjourned the previous day.

• title, imprint, letter, advertisement, letters, preface, letters, p. i-xvi
• p. i, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown.
  
• p. ii, imprint
  
• <copyright> 1845, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co. [2 lines]
• Cambridge : Metcalf and Company, Printers to the University [3 lines]
• p. iii, To the Honorable Joseph Story.  p. iv, blank.  p. v, Advertisement.
• p. vi, Letters Addressed to the Publishers, Winthrop.  p. vii, Choate.  p. viii, blank.
• p. ix, Preface.  p. x, Preface.
• p. xi, Extracts from Letters addressed to the Editor.  p. xii-xvi, Letters to the Editor.
  
• Of the testamentary letters, the latest is dated 1 Dec. 1845.
  
• list of public acts and resolutions, p. xvii-xxxviii
• preliminaries, p. 1-22
• The Declaration of Independence, p. 1-3
• Articles of Confederation, p. 4-9
• The Constitution of the United States, p. 10-20
• Amendments to the Constitution, p. 21-22
• public acts and resolutions, p. 23-755
• index to vol. 1, p. 757-777

• http://books.google.com/books?id=s14UAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106523913
• http://books.google.com/books?id=zQ8uAAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=EKlDAAAAcAAJ  [BSB]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=8ETW-hn0y_AC  [Lyon]
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=lXmdw7lBDCoC  [Naples]

• as previous, p. i-xxxviii, p. 1-777, with additional tables, p. xxxix-cxxii
• secondary title page, p. xxxix
  
• A Table showing the comparative chaptering in this edition, and [those by Story and Bioren & Duane], p. xli-lxviii
• Acts relating to the Judiciary, p. lxix-lxxxiii
• Acts relating to Imports and Tonnage, p. lxxxiv-xcvii
• Acts relating to the Public Lands, p. xcviii-cxviii
• Acts relating to the Post Office, p. cxix-cxxii
• The tables first appeared in vol. 8, 1846, p. 645-728, and were later moved to vol. 1.
  

• LoC, from the reprint, p. i-cxxii, 1-755
• title
• list of public acts and resolutions
• tables
• comparisons, judiciary, imports and tonnage, public lands, post-office
• Declaration of Independence, etc.
• public acts and resolutions
• index omitted
• LLoC, see above table; p. i-cxxii, 1-755
• The 5th Congress 1st Session is mistakenly included with the 4th Congress.
• 5th Congress, p. 676 is missing
• US House, selections, page reader  (p. 1-755 only) [from LLoC]
• Wikisource, title, table of contents
• Front Matter, p. i-xvi
• Lists and Tables, p. xvii-xxxviii, (omitted), cxix-cxxii
• Table No. V.  Comprising The Acts of Congress From 1789 to 1845, inclusive, Relating to the Post-Office of the U.S.
• Organic Laws of the United States, p. 1-22
• Public Acts, p. 23-755

• Reprinted, 1961, Dennis & Co., Buffalo, NY; p. i-cxxii, 1-777
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210019460086  [UC Riverside]
  

• title, imprint, letter, contents, advertisement, letters, preface, letters, p. i-xvi
• p. i, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown.
• p. ii, imprint
• <copyright> 1845, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co. [2 lines]
• p. iii, To the Honorable Joseph Story.  p. iv, Contents of this Volume [12 items].  p. v, Advertisement.
• p. vi, Letters Addressed to the Publishers, Winthrop.  p. vii, Choate.  p. viii, blank.
• p. ix, Preface.  p. x, Preface.  [same text as 1845]
  
• p. xi, Extracts from Letters addressed to the Editor.  p. xii-xvi, Letters to the Editor.
  
• list of public acts and resolutions, p. xvii-xxxviii
• tables, p. xxxix-cxxii
• preliminaries, p. 1-22
• public acts and resolutions, p. 23-755

• http://books.google.com/books?id=NFWSi5tRK1cC  [Ohio State]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437010938203

• as previous, but
  
• p. ix, Preface to the Second Edition.  [the final paragraph is revised from 1845]

• CS, http://constitution.org/  (pdf, 53.5 MB)
  
• Legisworks.org, table of contents (archived, 2016)  (p. 1-755 only)
• HeinOnline  [same source as CS] (title, "Public Statutes at Larg")
  

• title, imprint, advertisement, letter, contents, letters, preface, letters, p. i-xvi
• p. i-ii, title and imprint as 1848.
• p. iii, Advertisement.  p. iv, To the Honorable Joseph Story.  p. v, Contents of this Volume [13 items].
  
• p. vi, Letters Addressed to the Publishers, Winthrop.  p. vii, Choate.  p. viii, blank.
• p. ix, Preface to the Second Edition.  p. x, Preface.
  
• p. xi, Extracts from Letters addressed to the Editor.  p. xii-xvi, Letters to the Editor.
• The Contents now includes 13 items, by adding Table of Acts relating to the Post Office at p. cxix.
• p. xvii-xxxviii, xxxix-cxxii, 1-755, as previous
  

• http://books.google.com/books?id=tpA_AAAAYAAJ  [Harvard] (ex- Sen. Charles Sumner)
  
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx4g1k
• http://books.google.com/books?id=NF4UAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106523905

1854

• title, imprint, advertisement, letter, contents, letters, preface, letters, p. i-xvi
• p. i, Boston : Little, Brown, and Company.  p. ii, imprint as 1848.
  
• p. iii, Advertisement.  blank page.  p. iv, To the Honorable Joseph Story.  blank page.  p. v, Contents of this Volume [13 items].
  
• p. vi, Letters Addressed to the Publishers, Winthrop.  p. vii, Choate.  p. viii, blank.
• p. ix, Preface to the Second Edition.  p. x, Preface.
  
• p. xi, Extracts from Letters addressed to the Editor.  p. xii-xvi, Letters to the Editor.
• p. xvii-xxxviii, xxxix-cxxii, 1-755, as previous

• http://books.google.com/books?id=dfSVYgiegQUC  [ÖNB]
• http://digital.onb.ac.at/
• Extract from the act of Congress directing the distribution of Little and Brown's edition of the Statutes at Large, passed Aug. 8, 1846 (link)
• "This volume is public property."  (link)
  

• Boston : Little, Brown, and Company.

Congress	special sessions	regular sessions	LoC	LLoC
6th		2 Dec. 1799 – 14 May 1800 17 Nov. 1800 – 3 Mar. 1801	p. 3 p. 88	pdf, 13.1 MB p. i-xxxviii, 3-127
7th	4 – 5 Mar. 1801	7 Dec. 1801 – 3 May 1802 6 Dec. 1802 – 3 Mar. 1803	p. 128 p. 199	pdf, 10.2 MB p. 128-244
8th		17 Oct. 1803 – 27 Mar. 1804 5 Nov. 1804 – 3 Mar. 1805	p. 245 p. 307	pdf, 8.9 MB p. 245-347
9th	4 Mar. 1805	2 Dec. 1805 – 21 Apr. 1806 1 Dec. 1806 – 3 Mar. 1807	p. 348 p. 411	pdf, 8.5 MB p. 348-449
10th		26 Oct. 1807 – 25 Apr. 1808 7 Nov. 1808 – 3 Mar. 1809	p. 450 p. 505	pdf, 7.8 MB p. 450-546
11th	4 – 7 Mar. 1809	22 May 1809 – 28 June 1809 27 Nov. 1809 – 1 May 1810 3 Dec. 1810 – 3 Mar. 1811	p. 547 p. 554 p. 614	pdf, 9.7 MB p. 547-666
12th		4 Nov. 1811 – 6 July 1812 2 Nov. 1812 – 3 Mar. 1813	p. 667 p. 787	pdf, 14.0 MB p. 667-831

House Journal, Senate Journal, Senate Executive Journal, Annals of Congress

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
• p. i, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown. 
  
• p. ii, imprint
• <copyright> 1845, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson. [2 lines]
  
• list of public acts and resolutions, p. iii-xxxviii
• public acts and resolutions, p. 3-831
• index to vol. 2, p. 833-856
• p. 856, Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co., Philadelphia. [2 lines]
  

• LoC, from the reprint, p. i-xxxviii, 3-831
• title
• list of public acts and resolutions
• public acts and resolutions
• index omitted
• LLoC, from LoC, see above table; p. i-xxxviii, 3-831
• US House, selections, page reader  (p. 3-831 only) [from LLoC]
• Wikisource, table of contents  (complete)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=9BkuAAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=ttRO78SQ0mAC  [Lyon]
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=_qhDAAAAcAAJ  [BSB]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=V47nxITEuCAC  [Naples]
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3699840  [California]
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210019460094  [UC Riverside]

• Reprinted, 1964, Dennis & Co., Buffalo, NY; p. i-xxxviii, 3-856

• http://books.google.com/books?id=lSQ3AAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=Mx5NAQAAMAAJ  [UCLA]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.aa0010273449

• CS, http://constitution.org/  (pdf, 68.7 MB)
• Legisworks.org, table of contents (archived, 2016)  (p. 3-831 only)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=KZU_AAAAYAAJ  [Harvard] (ex- Sen. Charles Sumner)
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx4g1j
• http://books.google.com/books?id=SEMFAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044103137006
• http://books.google.com/books?id=5lcUAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106523921
• HeinOnline

1853, as 1845, p. i-xxxviii, 3-831

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
  
• p. i, Boston : Little, Brown and Company.
  

• http://books.google.com/books?id=CDCcd77m_gMC  [ÖNB]
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://digital.onb.ac.at/

• Boston : Little, Brown and Company.

• Appropriations "for postage on letters on public service" were made for the Military establishment, p. 227, for 1803.

Congress	special sessions	regular sessions	LoC	LLoC
13th		24 May 1813 – 2 Aug. 1813 6 Dec. 1813 – 18 Apr. 1814 19 Sep. 1814 – 3 Mar. 1815	p. 1 p. 88 p. 143	pdf, 23.4 MB p. i-xl, 1-250
14th		4 Dec. 1815 – 30 Apr. 1816 2 Dec. 1816 – 3 Mar. 1817	p. 251 p. 344	pdf, 12.1 MB p. 251-400
15th	4 – 6 Mar. 1817	1 Dec. 1817 – 20 Apr. 1818 16 Nov. 1818 – 3 Mar. 1819	p. 401 p. 477	pdf, 11.5 MB p. 401-538
16th		6 Dec. 1819 – 15 May 1820 13 Nov. 1820 – 3 Mar. 1821	p. 539 p. 610	pdf, 9.6 MB p. 539-648
17th		3 Dec. 1821 – 8 May 1822 2 Dec. 1822 – 3 Mar. 1823	p. 649 p. 720	pdf, 13.7 MB p. 649-798

House Journal, Senate Journal, Senate Executive Journal, Annals of Congress

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
• p. i, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown.
• p. ii, imprint
  
• <copyright> 1846, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co. [2 lines]
• Cambridge : Metcalf and Company, Printers to the University [3 lines]
• list of public acts and resolutions, p. iii-xxxix
• public acts and resolutions, p. 1-789
• index to vol. 3, p. 791-820
• appendix - proclamations, p. (791)-798 (only p. 798 is numbered)

• LoC, from the reprint, p. i-xl, 1-790, appendix p. (791)-798
• title
• list of public acts and resolutions
• public acts and resolutions
• appendix
• index omitted
• LLoC, see above table; p. i-xl, 1-789, appendix p. (791)-798
• 17th Congress, pages 791 and 796 should be exchanged
• US House, selections, page reader  (p. 1-789 only) [from LLoC]
• Wikisource, table of contents  (complete)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=ZUMFAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
  
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044057411431
• http://books.google.com/books?id=m65DAAAAcAAJ  [BSB] (appendix p. 798 missing)
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=-OaexNhZPq8C  [Lyon] (appendix p. 794, 795, 798 missing)
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=OAqq3Bj2HysC  [Naples] (appendix p. 798 missing)
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210019460102  [UC Riverside] (appendix p. 798 missing)

• Reprinted, 1963, Dennis & Co., Buffalo, NY; p. i-xl, 1-820, appendix p. (791)-798
• http://books.google.com/books?id=4SY3AAAAIAAJ  [Stanford] (appendix p. 794, 795 missing)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=lhIuAAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
  

• as 1846, p. i-xl, 1-790; appendix, p. 791-798 (p. 791-798 are numbered)
• title, imprint, p. i-ii
• p. ii, imprint
  
• <copyright> 1846, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co. [2 lines]

• CS, http://constitution.org/  (pdf, 66.6 MB)
• Legisworks.org, table of contents (archived, 2016)  (p. 1-798 only)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=KJE_AAAAYAAJ  [Harvard] (ex- Sen. Charles Sumner)
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx4g1l
• http://books.google.com/books?id=jCY3AAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=9WsDAAAAQAAJ  [Oxford]
  
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3699841  [California]
• HeinOnline [same source as CS] (compare p. 445, 779)
  

1854, as 1850

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
  
• p. i, Boston : Little, Brown and Company.

• http://books.google.com/books?id=jgj5SBNZfLEC  [ÖNB]
  
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://digital.onb.ac.at/

• http://books.google.com/books?id=w2sDAAAAQAAJ  [Oxford]

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
• p. ii, imprint, add
  
• Riverside, Cambridge : Printed by H.O. Houghton. [2 lines]
  

• http://books.google.com/books?id=-jiP02HtzY8C  [Ohio State]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437010938450

Congress	special sessions	regular sessions	LoC	LLoC
18th		1 Dec. 1823 – 27 May 1824 6 Dec. 1824 – 3 Mar. 1825	p. 1 p. 79	pdf, 14.8 MB p. i-xlvi, 1-136
19th	4 – 9 Mar. 1825	5 Dec. 1825 – 22 May 1826 4 Dec. 1826 – 3 Mar. 1827	p. 137 p. 197	pdf, 8.5 MB p. 137-245
20th		3 Dec. 1827 – 26 May 1828 1 Dec. 1828 – 3 Mar. 1829	p. 246 p. 323	pdf, 9.9 MB p. 246-369
21st	4 – 17 Mar. 1829	7 Dec. 1829 – 31 May 1830 6 Dec. 1830 – 3 Mar. 1831	p. 370 p. 431	pdf, 9.5 MB p. 370-495
22nd		5 Dec. 1831 – 16 July 1832 3 Dec. 1832 – 2 Mar. 1833	p. 496 p. 609	pdf, 13.7 MB p. 496-669
23rd		2 Dec. 1833 – 30 June 1834 1 Dec. 1834 – 3 Mar. 1835	p. 670 p. 746	pdf, 11.2 MB p. 670-818

House Journal, Senate Journal, Senate Executive Journal, Annals of Congress (18th), Register of Debates, Congressional Globe (23rd)
As 3 Mar. 1833 was a Sunday, the House and Senate adjourned the previous day.

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
• p. i, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown.
• p. ii, imprint
• <copyright> 1846, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co. [2 lines]
• list of public acts and resolutions, p. iii-xlv
• public acts and resolutions, p. 1-792
• appendix - C&O Canal, Cahawba Navigation Co., proclamations, p. 793-818
• index to vol. 4, p. 819-850

• LoC, from the reprint, p. i-xlvi, 1-818
• title
• list of public acts and resolutions
• public acts and resolutions
• appendix
• index omitted
• LLoC, from the reprint, see above table
  
• US House, selections, page reader  (p. 1-818 only) [from LLoC]
• Wikisource, table of contents  (partial contents)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=wyY3AAAAIAAJ  [Stanford] (ex- Sen. Carl Schurz)
  
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=MxAuAAAAIAAJ  [Stanford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=LiBNAQAAMAAJ  [UCLA]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.aa0010273464
• http://books.google.com/books?id=hPw-A4x1XKgC  [Ohio State]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437010938609
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=hq5DAAAAcAAJ  [BSB]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=ditRP6NRjwoC  [Lyon]
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=QyxCWXp745EC  [Naples]

• Reprinted, 1964, Dennis & Co., Buffalo, NY
  
• http://books.google.com/books?id=LTgFAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
  
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044103137022
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210019460110  [UC Riverside]
  

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
• p. i, Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown.
• p. ii, imprint
• <copyright> 1846, Charles C. Little & James Brown
• Philadelphia : Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co. [2 lines]
• list of public acts and resolutions, p. iii-xlv
• public acts and resolutions, p. 1-792
• appendix, p. 793-820 (4 items have been added)

• http://books.google.com/books?id=mDcFAAAAYAAJ  [Harvard]
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044103137014

• CS, http://constitution.org/  (pdf, 69.8 MB)
• Legisworks.org, table of contents (archived, 2016)   (p. 1-820 only)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=xo8_AAAAYAAJ  [Harvard] (ex- Sen. Charles Sumner)
• same, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx4fyg
• http://books.google.com/books?id=h2wDAAAAQAAJ  [Oxford]
• http://books.google.com/books?id=WNzeLVUjXboC  [ÖNB]
  
• "This volume is public property." (link)
• http://digital.onb.ac.at/
• http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3699842  [California]
• HeinOnline [same source as CS] (compare p. xxii, 778)
  

• title, imprint, p. i-ii
  
• p. i, Boston : Little, Brown and Company.
• p. ii, imprint
• <copyright> 1846, Charles C. Little & James Brown

• http://books.google.com/books?id=ImwDAAAAQAAJ  [Oxford]

• Boston : Little, Brown and Company.  Riverside, Cambridge, printed by H.O. Houghton.
  

• Appropriations were made to various agencies for the contingent expenses of "postage of letters on public service" or similar; see p. 21, 84, 141, 207, 255, 354, 376, 461, 499, 614, 671, 751, for the Navy, 1824 through 1835; p. 466, for the military service, 1831; p. 501, 643, 674, 747, for the Army, 1832 through 1835.  "Postage for the military academy" appears on p. 466, 502, 643, 704, 769, for 1831 through 1835.  Also, p. 746, for the dept. of Indian affairs, for 1835.  The marshals were to be reimbursed for postage expenses for the 1830 census, p. 388.