by Gay E. Carter, May 1995
The publications of Congress, particularly those from the formative years of the United States, are a rich resource for genealogists. As the frontier moved westward, local government developed slowly and settlers in the newest parts of the country had to rely on the federal government for protection, the building of roads, and other relief. Among the wealth of information found in Congressional documents are military records (e.g., army and navy registers), land records, private claims, maps, lists of patentees, lists of government employees, and lists of pensioners.
The House of Representatives passed a resolution in 1813 requiring the systematic publication of the papers produced by the business of the House. The Senate followed shortly with similar resolutions. This was the beginning of what became known as the U.S. Serial Set, so-called because, as each volume is collected and printed, it is assigned a sequential number. The serial numbering system that gives the Serial Set its name began with the 15th Congress (1817) and continues today.
It wasn’t until 1831 that Congress began work on a similar collection of documents covering the earliest years of the federal government. The publications of the first several Congresses were grouped into subject classes and are known collectively as American State Papers. There is some overlap with the time period covered by the Serial Set, as most volumes of American State Papers contain documents at least through the year 1823, and some volumes extend into the 1830s.
The four main types of Congressional publications are Senate Reports, House Reports, Senate Documents, and House Documents. Within each Congress and session, each of these is assigned a sequential number. Thus, H.rp 7 (27-1) is translated as the 7th House Report of the 27th Congress, 1st session. Reports and documents in American State Papers volumes are numbered sequentially within each class.
American State Papers is arranged in ten subject classes:
Class I: Foreign Relations, 6 volumes, 1789-1828, 1st-20th Congress: State of the Union addresses, copies of treaties, correspondence, and some matters relating to commerce, navigation, finance, and claims.
Class II: Indian Affairs, 2 volumes, 1789-1827, 1st-19th Congress: treaty texts and their accompanying documents, reports on Indian Wars, and documents concerning Indian trade.
Class III: Finance, 5 volumes, 1789-1828, 1st-20th Congress: public debt and public credit, revenue and taxation, and revenue collection.
Class IV: Commerce and Navigation, 2 volumes, 1789-1823, 1st-17th Congress: imports and exports, light-houses, improvement of harbors and waterways, shipping tonnage, and coastal trade.
Class V: Military Affairs, 7 volumes, 1789-1838, 1st-25th Congress: Army and militia organization, fortifications, War of 1812, and other military operations.
Class VI: Naval Affairs, 4 volumes, 1794-1836, 1st-24th Congress: matters concerning officers and seamen, shipbuilding, explorations, and naval operations.
Class VII: Post Office Department, 1 volume, 1790-1833, 1st (2d sess)-22d congress; department organization, post roads, postal contracts, mail delivery, and postage rates.
Class VIII: Public Lands, 8 volumes, 1789-1837, 1st-24th Congress: bounty lands and grants, preemption titles, land sales, and corporate land claims.
Class IX: Claims, 1 volume, 1790-1823, 1st-(2d sess)-17th Congress: petitions for extra pay, compensation for services, and losses due to military or government action.
Class X: Miscellaneous, 2 volumes, 1789-1823, 1st-17th Congress: contested congressional elections, admission of new states, state boundaries, slavery issues, and other subjects not covered in classes I-IX.
Each volume has a subject index.
It is generally accepted that the most genealogically useful volumes of American State Papers are those dealing with public lands (Class VIII) and claims (Class IX). Access to the documents in these volumes was greatly enhanced with the publication in 1972 of Phillip McMullin’s Grassroots of America, which provides indexing for every name found in the documents. In 1994, Southern Historical Press reprinted the Public Lands and Claims volumes of American State Papers along with Grassroots of America as the set’s comprehensive index.
But don’t use only the Public Lands and Claims. Be sure to explore the other classes for such gems as “...petitioner in the case sets forth that she is the widow of Doctor George C. Clitherall, deceased, late a surgeon in the army of the United States...” (Military Affairs, No. 572) or “...requesting information relative to the amount paid Mr. George Bowen for carrying mail on route No. 218, Edgefield, S.C., to Greenville...” (Post Office, No. 117). Placing an ancestor in a particular place at a particular time, finding a clue to a date of death, or discovering evidence of military service are just a few of the rewards of researching in American State Papers.
Clayton Library has the original volumes of American State Papers published by Gales and Seaton, two editions of Grassroots of America, and the Southern Historical Press reprint set. All can be found within the U.S. section of the library, but you will find the various classes of the original volumes filed under different call numbers, depending on the subject of the volumes. For example, Public Lands is under call number 333.10973 U58 USA, Claims is under 346.73 U58 USA, and Miscellaneous is found under 973 U58 USA. Library patrons who have used these books know that because of preservation concerns, the original volumes may not be photocopied. One advantage of the reprint set is that they can be photocopied. Here’s a tip from CLF member Ruby Dusek: Since the type size in the reprint edition is very small, use the older set to find and read the documents, and then take the newer volumes to the photocopier to make a record for your files.
American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive of the Congress of the United States.... 38 vols. Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1832-61. (various call numbers within the U.S. section)
American State Papers: Public Lands and Claims. 9 vols. Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1994. Reprint. (GEN 333.10973 U58 USA)
McMullin, Phillip W., ed. Grassroots of America: a Computerized Index to the American State Papers: Land Grants and Claims (1789-1837).... Conway, AR: Arkansas Research, 1990. Reprint, orig. pub., Salt Lake City: Gendex Corporation, 1972. (GEN 333.10973 U58 USA)
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