The Senate Historical Office collects and provides information on important events, precedents, dates, statistics, and historical comparisons of current and past Senate activities for use by members and staff, the media, scholars, and the general public.
At the Constitutional Convention, the framers deliberated at length over the creation of the U.S. Senate. The Senate has evolved into a complex legislative body, while remaining true to its constitutional origins.
Origins and Foundations of the Senate
Learn more about historic dates and events in the Senate.
Get a brief overview of the history of the Senate and learn some interesting facts.
Retrieve statistical lists put together by the Senate Historical Office.
Discovered in 2002, this financial ledger details nearly a century of salary and mileage payments to Senators, from 1790 to 1881. The original is now with the National Archives. Link to the digitized version above.
Link to tables of information on the history of the House of Representatives.
Interested in related materials? Take a look at these Virtual Reference Desk subjects for more information.
