United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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“The House of Representatives, in some respects, I think, is the most peculiar assemblage in the world,” Speaker Joe Cannon of Illinois once observed. Behind the legislation and procedure, House Members and staff have produced their own institutional history and heritage. Our blog, Whereas: Stories from the People’s House, tells their stories.

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Displaying 109–120 of 404 results

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Edition for Educators—Continental and Confederation Congresses

by History on July 15, 2015
Fifteen years before the First Federal Congress met, Great Britain’s American colonies convened a Continental Congress in response to the Intolerable Acts, a series of taxes imposed in the wake of the Boston Tea Party incident of December 1773. The Confederation Congress was dissolved after ratification of the Constitution, and prior to the convening of the First Federal Congress in the spring of 1789.
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Categories: Edition for Educators, Pre-Federal Congresses

Edition for Educators—Districts

by History on June 6, 2018
Massachusetts Speaker Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” With elections held every two years, the House of Representatives is designed to be immediately answerable to its constituents. Members typically seek to gain committee assignments that align with their districts’ interests and frequently return home to connect with voters. This Edition for Educators focuses on congressional districts and how their unique needs influence the Members who represent them.
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Categories: Elections, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Elections

by History on October 28, 2014
Nathaniel Banks
Constitutionally mandated to be the “People’s House,” the House of Representatives has always been elected directly by the voters bienially.
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Categories: Elections, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Elections and the House

by History on October 28, 2020
Every four years, the nation’s attention turns to the presidential election. But that contest is only part of the story for the candidates who run every two years to fill 440 of the 441 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. This Edition for Educators highlights a few of the many campaign and election resources found on the History, Art & Archives website.
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Categories: Elections, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Firsts for Women in Congress

by History on March 30, 2015
Patsy Mink
In 1965, Patsy Mink became the first woman of color elected to Congress. An advocate for equal rights as well as many other women’s issues, one of her greatest accomplishments was the passage of the Women’s Education Equality Act, as part of a comprehensive education bill, in 1974. Learn more about Mink and other firsts for women in Congress.
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Categories: Members of Congress, Women & Minorities on the Hill, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Following the Rules

by History on November 27, 2018
The U.S. House of Representatives is governed by an ever-expanding matrix of rules and precedents, procedural compass points that have been accumulating every year since the very first Congress in 1789. The Constitution says little about the internal governing structure of the House other than that it “may determine the Rules of its Proceedings.” That vague allowance enables the House to create and maintain both its legislative processes and rules guiding the personal behavior of its Members.
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Categories: Practice & Customs, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Football

by History on September 18, 2019
It’s September, and football is back. On Capitol Hill that means Representatives make friendly wagers over big games, and recognizable all-stars occasionally find their way into campaign ads. This month’s Edition for Educators features football and the House.
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Categories: Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Fun and Games

by History on June 23, 2015
Nicholas Longworth
This month's Edition for Educators highlights pastimes in the House of Representatives, from baseball to horseshoes.
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Categories: Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Gaveling In

by History on April 20, 2015
Declaration of War Gavel
This month’s Edition for Educators focuses on an everyday tool with a rich tradition in the history of the House of Representatives: the gavel. Gavels have special significance in the House, where they have many purposes: as instruments of order and decorum, as symbols of power, and sometimes as souvenirs. Each, in its own right, could tell a unique tale. Following are a few examples.
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Categories: House Chamber, Practice & Customs, Artifacts, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Halloween

by History on October 31, 2016
In the mood for some spooky Halloween yarns? The House has its own share of tricks and treats.
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Categories: Holidays, Edition for Educators

Edition for Educators—Hamilton and the House

by History on July 1, 2020
In honor of the television debut of one of history’s favorite Broadway stars, this Edition for Educators explores how the life of Alexander Hamilton, a Member of the Continental Congress, intersected with the early history of the House of Representatives.
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Categories: Edition for Educators, Pre-Federal Congresses

Edition for Educators – Happy Holidays!

by History on December 20, 2013
The Holidays are a time for family and traditions. In the House of Representatives, Decembers have included celebrations surrounding the Capitol Christmas Tree mixed with hectic legislative sessions to conclude business so Members could return to their families.
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Categories: Holidays, Edition for Educators
Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov