List of United States federal legislation, 1789–1901
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This is a chronological, but incomplete, list of United States federal legislation passed by the 1st through 56th United States Congresses, between 1789 and 1901. For the main article on this subject, see
List of United States federal legislation This is a chronological, but still incomplete, list of United States federal legislation. Congress has enacted approximately 200–600 statutes during each of its 115 biennial terms so that more than 30,000 statutes have been enacted since 1789. A ...
. Additional lists can be found at List of United States federal legislation: Congress of the Confederation, List of United States federal legislation, 1901–2001 and List of United States federal legislation, 2001–present.


1st United States Congress The 1st United States Congress, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall in ...


First Session (March 4, 1789–September 29, 1789)


Second Session (January 4, 1790—August 12, 1790)


Third Session (December 6, 1790—March 3, 1791)


2nd United States Congress The 2nd United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 4, 1791, to March 4, 1793, during the third and fourth years ...

* February 20, 1792:
Postal Service Act The Postal Service Act was a piece of United States federal legislation that established the United States Post Office Department. It was signed into law by President George Washington on February 20, 1792. History William Goddard, a Patrio ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 7, * April 2, 1792: Coinage Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 16, * April 14, 1792: Apportionment Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 23 to * May 2, 1792: First Militia Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 28, * May 8, 1792: Second Militia Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 33, * February 12, 1793: Fugitive Slave Law of 1793, Sess. 2, ch. 7, * February 18, 1793: An Act for enrolling and licensing ships or vessels to be employed in the
coasting trade The modern terms short-sea shipping (sometimes unhyphenated), marine highway, and motorways of the sea, and the more historical terms coastal trade, coastal shipping, coasting trade, and coastwise trade, all encompass the movement of cargo and pas ...
and fisheries, and for regulating the same, Sess. 2, ch. 8, * March 2, 1793: Judiciary Act of 1793, Sess. 2, ch. 22, (including Anti-Injunction Act)


3rd United States Congress The 3rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Penn ...

* March 27, 1794:
Naval Act of 1794 The Act to Provide a Naval Armament (Sess. 1, ch. 12, ), also known as the Naval Act of 1794, or simply, the Naval Act, was passed by the 3rd United States Congress on March 27, 1794, and signed into law by President George Washington. The act a ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 12, * January 29, 1795:
Naturalization Act of 1795 The United States Naturalization Act of 1795 (, enacted January 29, 1795) repealed and replaced the Naturalization Act of 1790. The main change made by the 1795 Act from the 1790 Act was the increase in the period of required residence in the Uni ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 20,


4th United States Congress The 4th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsy ...


5th United States Congress The 5th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Penns ...

* April 30, 1798: The
U.S. Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April ...
was established, Sess. 2, ch. 35, * June 18, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act to establish a uniform rule of naturalization ( Naturalization Act of 1798), Sess. 2, ch. 54, * June 25, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act concerning Aliens, Sess. 2, ch. 58, * July 6, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act respecting Alien Enemies, Sess. 2, ch. 66, * July 9, 1798:
Act Further to Protect the Commerce of the United States An Act further to protect the commerce of the United States, (5th Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 68, ) is an act of Congress approved July 9, 1798, authorizing the President of the United States to use military force in the Quasi-War with France. Legis ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 68, * July 11, 1798: The Marine Corps was established, Sess. 2, ch. 72, * July 14, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States (Sedition Act), Sess. 2, ch. 74, * July 16, 1798:
An Act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen An Act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen was passed by the 5th Congress. It was signed by President John Adams on July 16, 1798. The Act authorized the deduction of twenty cents per month from the wages of seamen, for the sole purpos ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 77,


6th United States Congress

* April 4, 1800:
Bankruptcy Act of 1800 The Bankruptcy Act of 1800 was the first piece of federal legislation in the United States surrounding bankruptcy. The act was passed in response to a decade of periodic financial crises and commercial failures. It was modeled after English practi ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 19, * May 2, 1800:
Slave Trade Act of 1800 The Slave Trade Act of 1800 was a law passed by the United States Congress to build upon the Slave Trade Act of 1794, limiting American involvement in the trade of human cargo. It was signed into law by President John Adams on May 10, 1800. This wa ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 51, * February 13, 1801: Judiciary Act of 1801, Sess. 2, ch. 4, * February 27, 1801: District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Sess. 2, ch. 15,


7th United States Congress The 7th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1801, ...

* March 16, 1802:
Military Peace Establishment Act The Military Peace Establishment Act documented and advanced a new set of laws and limits for the U.S. military. It was approved by Congress and signed on March 16, 1802, by President Thomas Jefferson, who was fundamental in its drafting and prop ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 9, * April 29, 1802: Judiciary Act of 1802, Sess. 1, ch. 31, * April 30, 1802: Enabling Act of 1802, Sess. 1, ch. 40,


8th United States Congress The 8th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1803, ...

* March 26, 1804: Land Act of 1804, Sess. 1, ch. 35,


9th United States Congress The 9th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1805, t ...

* March 29, 1806: Cumberland Road, Sess. 1, ch. 19, * February 24, 1807: Seventh Circuit Act of 1807, Sess. 2, ch. 16, * March 2, 1807:
Slave Trade Prohibition Act The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves of 1807 (, enacted March 2, 1807) is a United States federal law that provided that no new slaves were permitted to be imported into the United States. It took effect on January 1, 1808, the earliest dat ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 22, * March 3, 1807: Insurrection Act of 1807, Sess. 2, ch. 39,


10th United States Congress The 10th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1807, to March 4, 1809, during ...

* December 22, 1807: Embargo Act of 1807, Sess. 1, ch. 5, * April 23, 1808: Militia Act of 1808, Sess. 1, ch. 55, * March 1, 1809:
Non-Intercourse Act (1809) In the last sixteen days of President Thomas Jefferson's Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, presidency, the 10th United States Congress, Congress replaced the Embargo Act of 1807 with the almost unenforceable Non-Intercourse Act of March 1809. Thi ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 24,


11th United States Congress The 11th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1809, ...

* May 1, 1810:
Macon's Bill Number 2 Macon's Bill Number 2, which became law in the United States on May 14, 1810, was intended to motivate Great Britain and France to stop seizing American ships, cargoes, and crews during the Napoleonic Wars. This was a revision of the original bill ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 39,


12th United States Congress The 12th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1811 ...

how removed data this area hade info on War of 1812. Acts of insurrection. Special powers of Congress, acts of insurrection. Special powers of candidate running for president. Need only verbally proclaim. Also the discussion. On these laws may never be deemed archaic or removed from the books by threat of death penalty. Additional areas and content. Of extreme historical value. Higher end Oracle necessary. To service. And check records of origins. Of either outside cyber attacking participants. Or other participants who have deleted access. To extremely valuable historical data referencing. Need some expert historians to restore this priority item.


13th United States Congress The 13th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1813 ...

April 16, 1814: Flotilla Service Act of 1814, Sess. 2, ch. 59,


14th United States Congress The 14th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washingto ...

* April 10, 1816: Second Bank of the United States, Sess. 1, ch. 94, * April 27, 1816: Dallas tariff, Sess. 1, ch. 107,


15th United States Congress The 15th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, ...

* April 4, 1818:
Flag Act of 1818 The Flag Acts are three laws that sought to define the design of the flag of the United States. All the submitted suggestions were remarkably short, the shortest being a sentence of 31 words, and the longest being a title and two sentences of 11 ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 34, * April 18, 1818: Navigation Act of 1818, Sess. 1, ch. 70,


16th United States Congress The 16th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1819, ...

* March 6, 1820: Missouri Compromise, Sess. 1, ch. 22, * April 24, 1820: Land Act of 1820, Sess. 1, ch. 51, * March 2, 1821: Relief Act of 1821, Sess. 2, ch. 12,


17th United States Congress The 17th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. While its term was officially March 4, 1821, t ...


18th United States Congress The 18th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1823, ...

* January 7, 1824:
Tariff of 1824 The Tariff of 1824 (Sectional Tariff of 2019, ch. 4, , enacted May 22, 1824) was a protective tariff in the United States designed to protect American industry from cheaper British commodities, especially iron products, wool and cotton textiles, ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 4, * April 30, 1824:
General Survey Act The General Survey Act was a law passed by the United States Congress in April 1824, which authorized the president to have surveys made of routes for transport roads and canals "of national importance, in a commercial or military point of view, or ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 46, * March 3, 1825:
Crimes Act of 1825 The Crimes Act of 1825 (also known as the Federal Criminal Code of 1825), formally titled ''An Act more effectually to provide for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States, and for other purposes'', was the first piece of omnibu ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 65,


19th United States Congress The 19th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1825, ...


20th United States Congress The 20th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1827, ...

* May 24, 1828: Tariff of Abominations, Sess. 1, ch. 111,


21st United States Congress The 21st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1829, ...

* May 28, 1830: Indian Removal Act, Sess. 1, ch. 148, * February 3, 1831:
Copyright Act of 1831 __NOTOC__ The Copyright Act of 1831 was the first major revision to the U.S. Copyright Law. The bill is largely the result of lobbying efforts by American lexicographer Noah Webster. The key changes in the Act included: * Extension of the origin ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 16,


22nd United States Congress The 22nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1831 ...

* July 14, 1832:
Tariff of 1832 The Tariff of 1832 ( 22nd Congress, session 1, ch. 227, , enacted July 14, 1832) was a protectionist tariff in the United States. Enacted under Andrew Jackson's presidency, it was largely written by former President John Quincy Adams, who had ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 227, * March 2, 1833:
Compromise Tariff The Tariff of 1833 (also known as the Compromise Tariff of 1833, ch. 55, ), enacted on March 2, 1833, was proposed by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun as a resolution to the Nullification Crisis. Enacted under Andrew Jackson's presidency, it was ...
(Tariff of 1833), Sess. 2, ch. 55, * March 2, 1833:
Force Bill The Force Bill, formally titled "''An Act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports''", (1833), refers to legislation enacted by the 22nd U.S. Congress on March 2, 1833, during the nullification crisis. Passed by Congress at ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 57,


23rd United States Congress The 23rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1833, ...

* June 28, 1834:
Coinage Act of 1834 The Coinage Act of 1834 was passed by the United States Congress on June 28, 1834. It raised the silver-to-gold weight ratio from its 1792 level of 15:1 (established by the Coinage Act of 1792) to 16:1 thus setting the mint price for silver at a le ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 95, * June 30, 1834: An Act to Regulate Trade and Intercourse With the Indian Tribes, Sess. 1, ch. 161,


24th United States Congress The 24th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1835 ...

* July 4, 1836:
Patent Act of 1836 The Patent Act of 1836 () established a number of important changes in the United States patent system. These include: *The examination of patent applications prior to issuing a patent. This was the second time this was done anywhere in the worl ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 357, * March 3, 1837: Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837, Sess. 2, ch. 34,


25th United States Congress The 25th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 183 ...


26th United States Congress The 26th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1839 ...


27th United States Congress The 27th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. between March 4, 1 ...

* August 19, 1841:
Bankruptcy Act of 1841 Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 9, * September 4, 1841: Preemption Act of 1841, Sess. 1, ch. 16, * August 4, 1842: Armed Occupation Act, Sess. 2, ch. 122, * August 30, 1842:
Tariff of 1842 The Tariff of 1842, or Black Tariff as it became known, was a protectionist tariff schedule adopted in the United States. It reversed the effects of the Compromise Tariff of 1833, which contained a provision that successively lowered the tariff ...
("Black Tariff"), Sess. 2, ch. 270,


28th United States Congress The 28th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1843 ...

* January 23, 1845:
Presidential Election Day Act On January 23, 1845, the 28th US Congress passed "An act to establish a uniform time for holding elections for electors of President and Vice President in all the States of the Union." The act selected "the Tuesday after the first Monday in Novembe ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 1, * March 3, 1845: An act relating to revenue cutters and steamers, Sess. 2, ch. 78, (the first time Congress overrode a presidential veto)


29th United States Congress The 29th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1845, ...

* July 9, 1846: District of Columbia retrocession, Sess. 1, ch. 35, * July 30, 1846:
Walker tariff The Walker Tariff was a set of tariff rates adopted by the United States in 1846. Enacted by the Democrats, it made substantial cuts in the high rates of the " Black Tariff" of 1842, enacted by the Whigs. It was based on a report by Secretary of ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 74, * August 6, 1846: Independent Treasury Act of 1846, Sess. 1, ch. 90,


30th United States Congress The 30th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847, ...

* March 3, 1849: Department of the Interior Act, Sess. 2, ch. 108, * March 3, 1849:
Coinage Act of 1849 The Coinage Act of 1849 was an Act of the United States Congress passed during the California Gold Rush authorizing the Mint to produce two new gold coins in response to the increased gold supply: the small gold dollar and the large double eagle ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 109,


31st United States Congress The 31st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849, ...

* September 9, 1850: Compromise of 1850, Sess. 1, ch. 49, * September 18, 1850:
Fugitive Slave Act A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also kno ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 60, * September 27, 1850: Donation Land Claim Act, Sess. 1, ch. 76, * March 3, 1851: California Land Act of 1851, Sess. 2, ch. 41, * March 3, 1851:
Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 In United States maritime law, the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, codified as since February 1, 2010, states that the owner of a vessel may limit damage claims to the value of the vessel at the end of the voyage plus " pending freight", as ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 43,


32nd United States Congress The 32nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1851, ...

* February 21, 1853: Coinage Act of 1853, Sess. 2, ch. 79, * March 2, 1853: An act providing for administering the oath of office to William R. King, Vice President elect of the United States of America. Sess. 2, ch. 93,


33rd United States Congress The 33rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853, ...

* May 30, 1854: Kansas–Nebraska Act, Sess. 1, ch. 59,


34th United States Congress The 34th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1855, ...

* August 18, 1856: Guano Islands Act, Sess. 1, ch. 164, * February 21, 1857: Coinage Act of 1857, Sess. 3, ch. 56,


35th United States Congress The 35th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1857, ...


36th United States Congress The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859 ...

* June 16, 1860: Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860, Sess. 1, ch. 137, * March 2, 1861: Morrill Tariff, Sess. 2, ch. 68,


37th United States Congress The 37th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861, ...

* August 5, 1861: Revenue Act of 1861, Sess. 1, ch. 45, * August 6, 1861: Confiscation Act of 1861, Sess. 1, ch. 60, * February 25, 1862:
Legal Tender Act of 1862 The ''Legal Tender Cases'' were two 1871 United States Supreme Court cases that affirmed the constitutionality of paper money. The two cases were ''Knox v. Lee'' and '' Parker v. Davis''. The U.S. federal government had issued paper money known a ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 33, * April 16, 1862: An Act for the Release of certain Persons held to Service or Labor within the District of Columbia, Sess. 2, ch. 54, * May 15, 1862: Department of Agriculture Act, Sess. 2, ch. 72, * May 20, 1862: Homestead Act of 1862, Sess. 2, ch. 75, * June 19, 1862: An Act to secure Freedom to all persons within the Territories of the United States, Sess. 2, ch. 111, * July 1, 1862: Revenue Act of 1862, Sess. 2, ch. 119, * July 1, 1862:
Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 The Pacific Railroad Acts of 1862 were a series of acts of Congress that promoted the construction of a "transcontinental railroad" (the Pacific Railroad) in the United States through authorizing the issuance of government bonds and the grants of l ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 120, * July 1, 1862: Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, Sess. 2, ch. 126, * July 2, 1862:
Morrill Act of 1862 The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or se ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 130, * July 17, 1862: Militia Act of 1862, Sess. 2, ch. 201, * February 24, 1863:
Arizona Organic Act The Arizona Organic Act was an organic act passed in the United States federal law introduced as H.R. 357 in the second session of the 37th U.S. Congress on March 12, 1862, by Rep. James M. Ashley of Ohio. The Act provided for the creation of the ...
, Sess. 3, ch. 56, * February 25, 1863: National Bank Act of 1863, Sess. 3, ch. 58, * March 2, 1863: False Claims Act, Sess. 3, ch. 67, * March 3, 1863:
Enrollment Act The Enrollment Act of 1863 (, enacted March 3, 1863) also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, was an Act passed by the United States Congress during the American Civil War to provide fresh manpower for the Union Army. The Act was the firs ...
, Sess. 3, ch. 75, * March 3, 1863:
Habeas Corpus Suspension Act (1863) The Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, (1863), entitled ''An Act relating to Habeas Corpus, and regulating Judicial Proceedings in Certain Cases,'' was an Act of Congress that authorized the president of the United States to suspend the right of habe ...
, Sess. 3, ch. 81, * March 3, 1863: Tenth Circuit Act of 1863, Sess. 3, ch. 100,


38th United States Congress The 38th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863, ...

* April 22, 1864: Coinage Act of 1864, Sess. 1, ch. 66, * March 3, 1865:
Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 90,


39th United States Congress The 39th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865, ...

* April 9, 1866:
Civil Rights Act of 1866 The Civil Rights Act of 1866 (, enacted April 9, 1866, reenacted 1870) was the first United States federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law. It was mainly intended, in the wake of the Amer ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 31, * April 12, 1866:
Contraction Act of 1866 The Contraction Act of 1866 was an act passed by Congress of the United States on April 12, 1866. It was intended to lower the price level so they could reinstate the gold standard. History In 1862, Abraham Lincoln created the Greenbacks, a cur ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 39, * July 23, 1866: Judicial Circuits Act, Sess. 1, ch. 210, * March 2, 1867: Reconstruction Act, Sess. 2, ch. 153, * March 2, 1867: Tenure of Office Act (1867), Sess. 2, ch. 154,


40th United States Congress The 40th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867, ...

* Reconstruction Acts, continued: ** March 23, 1867, Sess. 1, ch. 6, ** July 19, 1867, Sess. 1, ch. 30, ** March 11, 1868, Sess. 2, ch. 25, *July 27, 1868: Expatriation Act of 1868, Sess. 2, ch. 249,


41st United States Congress The 41st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1869, ...

* March 18, 1869:
Public Credit Act of 1869 The Public Credit Act of 1869 in the USA states that bondholders who purchased bonds to help finance the Civil War (1861 – 1865) would be paid back in gold. The act was signed on March 18, 1869, and was mainly supported by the Republican Part ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 1, * April 10, 1869: Judiciary Act of 1869 (Circuit Judges Act of 1869), Sess. 1, ch. 22, * May 31, 1870: Enforcement Act of 1870 (Civil Rights Act of 1870), Sess. 2, ch. 114, * June 22, 1870:
Department of Justice Act The Department of Justice (french: Ministère de la Justice) is a department of the Government of Canada that represents the Canadian government in legal matters. The Department of Justice works to ensure that Canada's justice system is as fair, ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 150, * July 8, 1870:
Copyright Act of 1870 The Copyright Act of 1870, also called the Patent Act of 1870 and the Trade Mark Act of 1870, was a revision to United States intellectual property law, covering copyrights and patents. Eight sections of the bill, sometimes called the Trade Mar ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 230, * July 12, 1870:
Currency Act of 1870 The Currency Act of 1870 (41st Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 252, , enacted July 12, 1870) maintained greenbacks issued during the American Civil War at their existing level, about $356 million, neither contracting them nor issuing more. It replaced $45 m ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 252, * July 14, 1870: Naturalization Act of 1870, Sess. 2, ch. 254, * July 14, 1870:
Funding Act of 1870 The Funding Act of 1870 (41st Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 256, , enacted July 14, 1870) was an Act of Congress to re-fund the national debt. It allowed the exchange of high interest, short-term floating bonds bearing lower interest and terms of up to ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 256, * February 21, 1871: District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871, Sess. 3, ch. 62,


42nd United States Congress The 42nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871, ...

* April 20, 1871: Third Enforcement Act (Civil Rights Act of 1871, Ku Klux Klan Act), Sess. 1, ch. 22, * March 1, 1872: Yellowstone Act, Sess. 2, ch. 24, * May 10, 1872: General Mining Act of 1872, Sess. 2, ch. 152, * May 22, 1872:
Amnesty Act The Amnesty Act of 1872 is a United States federal law passed on May 22, 1872, which removed most of the penalties imposed on former Confederates by the Fourteenth Amendment, adopted on July 9, 1868. Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohi ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 193, * June 1, 1872: Practice Conformity Act (precursor to the
Rules Enabling Act The Rules Enabling Act (ch. 651, , ) is an Act of Congress that gave the judicial branch the power to promulgate the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Amendments to the Act allowed for the creation of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and ...
), Sess. 2, ch. 255, * June 8, 1872: Post Office Act (1872), Sess. 2, ch. 335, * February 12, 1873: Coinage Act of 1873, Sess. 3, ch. 131, * March 3, 1873: Comstock Act, Sess. 3, ch. 258, * March 3, 1873: Timber Culture Act, Sess. 3, ch. 277,


43rd United States Congress The 43rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873, ...

* June 23, 1874:
Poland Act The Poland Act (18 Stat. 253) of 1874 was an act of the US Congress that sought to facilitate prosecutions under the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act by eliminating the control members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) exert ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 469, * January 14, 1875: Specie Payment Resumption Act, Sess. 2, ch. 15, * March 1, 1875:
Civil Rights Act of 1875 The Civil Rights Act of 1875, sometimes called the Enforcement Act or the Force Act, was a United States federal law enacted during the Reconstruction era in response to civil rights violations against African Americans. The bill was passed by the ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 114, * March 3, 1875: Page Act of 1875, Sess. 2, ch. 141,


44th United States Congress The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. ) , image_sk ...

* March 3, 1877:
Desert Land Act The Desert Land Act is a United States federal law which was passed by the United States Congress on March 3, 1877, to encourage and promote the economic development of the arid and semiarid public lands within certain states of the Western state ...


45th United States Congress The 45th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1877, ...

* February 28, 1878:
Bland–Allison Act The Bland–Allison Act, also referred to as the Grand Bland Plan of 1878, was an act of United States Congress requiring the U.S. Treasury to buy a certain amount of silver and put it into circulation as silver dollars. Though the bill was vetoe ...
(Coinage Act (Silver Dollar)), Sess. 2, ch. 20, * April 29, 1878: National Quarantine Act, Sess. 2, ch. 66, * June 3, 1878:
Timber and Stone Act The Timber and Stone Act of 1878 in the United States sold Western timberland for $2.50 per acre ($618/km2) in 160 acre (0.6 km2) blocks. Land that was deemed "unfit for farming" was sold to those who might want to "timber and stone" (logging and ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 151, * June 18, 1878: Posse Comitatus Act, Sess. 2, ch. 263, §15, * February 26, 1879: To Promote a Knowledge of Steam Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Act, Sess. 3, ch. 105,


46th United States Congress The 46th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879 ...


47th United States Congress The 47th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1881, ...

* February 25, 1882: Apportionment of the Tenth Census, Sess. 1, ch. 20, * May 6, 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act, Sess. 1, ch. 126, * August 2, 1882: River and Harbors Act of 1882 * January 16, 1883: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, Sess. 2, ch. 27, * March 3, 1883:
Tariff of 1883 In United States tax law history, the Tariff of 1883 (signed into law on March 3, 1883 Access date: 03/06/09), also known as the Mongrel Tariff Act by its critics, reduced high tariff rates only marginally, and left in place fairly strong protec ...
( Mongrel Tariff), Sess. 2, ch. 121,


48th United States Congress The 48th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883, ...


49th United States Congress The 49th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885, ...

* January 19, 1886:
Presidential Succession Act of 1886 The United States Presidential Succession Act is a federal statute establishing the presidential line of succession. Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the United States Constitution authorizes Congress to enact such a statute: Congress has e ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 4, * June 19, 1886: Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886, Sess. 1, ch. 421, * February 3, 1887: Electoral Count Act, Sess. 2, ch. 90, * February 4, 1887:
Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 is a United States federal law that was designed to regulate the railroad industry, particularly its monopoly, monopolistic practices. The Act required that railroad rates be "reasonable and just," but did no ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 104, * February 8, 1887: Dawes Act (
Indian General Allotment Act The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887) regulated land rights on tribal territories within the United States. Named after Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, it authorized the Pre ...
), Sess. 2, ch. 119, * March 2, 1887:
Agricultural Experiment Stations Act of 1887 Agricultural Experiment Stations Act of 1887 is a United States federal statute establishing agricultural research by the governance of the United States land-grant colleges as enacted by the Land-Grant Agricultural and Mechanical College Act of ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 314, * March 2, 1887: Hatch Act of 1887, Sess. 2, ch. 314, * March 3, 1887: Tucker Act, Sess. 2, ch. 359, * March 3, 1887:
Edmunds–Tucker Act The Edmunds–Tucker Act of 1887 was an Act of Congress that focused on restricting some practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). An amendment to the earlier Edmunds Act, it was passed in response to the dispute ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 397,


50th United States Congress The 50th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887, ...

* February 22, 1889:
Enabling Act of 1889 The Enabling Act of 1889 (, chs. 180, 276–284, enacted February 22, 1889) is a United States statute that permitted the entrance of Montana and Washington into the United States of America, as well as the splitting of Territory of Dakota ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 180,


51st United States Congress The 51st United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Rep ...

* May 2, 1890:
Oklahoma Organic Act An Organic Act is a generic name for a statute used by the United States Congress to describe a territory, in anticipation of being admitted to the Union as a state. Because of Oklahoma's unique history (much of the state was a place where aborig ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 182, * June 27, 1890:
Dependent and Disability Pension Act The Dependent and Disability Pension Act was passed by the United States Congress (26 Stat. 182) and signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison on June 27, 1890. The act provided pensions for all veterans who had served at least ninety days in ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 634, * July 2, 1890: Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, Sess. 1, ch. 647, * July 14, 1890: Sherman Silver Purchase Act, Sess. 1, ch. 708, * August 30, 1890:
Morrill Act of 1890 The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or se ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 841, * October 1, 1890: McKinley Tariff, Sess. 1, ch. 1244, * March 3, 1891: Judiciary Act of 1891 (Evarts Act), Sess. 2, ch. 517, * March 3, 1891:
Immigration Act of 1891 The Immigration Act of 1891, also known as the 1891 Immigration Act, was a modification of the Immigration Act of 1882, focusing on immigration rules and enforcement mechanisms for foreigners arriving from countries other than China. It was the se ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 551, * March 3, 1891: Land Revision Act of 1891, Sess. 2, ch. 561, * March 3, 1891: Forest Reserve Act of 1891, Sess. 2, ch. 561, * March 3, 1891:
International Copyright Act of 1891 The International Copyright Act of 1891 (, March 3, 1891) is the first U.S. congressional act that extended limited protection to foreign copyright holders from select nations. Formally known as the "International Copyright Act of 1891", but more ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 565, * March 3, 1891:
Merchant Marine Act of 1891 A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry ...


52nd United States Congress The 52nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1891, ...

* May 5, 1892: Geary Act, Sess. 1, ch. 60, (amended the Chinese Exclusion Act) * February 13, 1893:
Harter Act Affreightment (from freight) is a legal term relating to shipping. A ''contract of affreightment'' is a contract between a ''ship-owner'' and a charterer, in which the ship-owner agrees to carry goods for the charterer in the ship, ''or'' to giv ...
(Carriage of Goods by Sea), Sess. 2, ch. 105,


53rd United States Congress The 53rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 ...

* August 27, 1894:
Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act The Revenue Act or Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894 (ch. 349, §73, , August 27, 1894) slightly reduced the United States tariff rates from the numbers set in the 1890 McKinley tariff and imposed a 2% tax on income over $4,000. It is named for Wi ...
, Sess. 2, ch. 349, §73, * January 12, 1895:
Printing Act of 1895 The Printing Act of 1895,Ch. 23, "An Act Providing for the public printing and binding and the distribution of public documents," was a law designed to centralize in the United States Government Printing Office the printing, binding, and distributi ...
(An Act Providing for the Public Printing and Binding and the Distribution of Public Documents), Sess. 3, ch. 23, * February 18, 1895: Maguire Act of 1895, Sess. 3, ch. 97,


54th United States Congress The 54th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1895, ...

* May 21, 1896: Oil Pipe Line Act, ( et seq.) * May 22, 1896: Condemned Cannon Act, * May 28, 1896: United States Commissioners Act, * June 1, 1896: Married Women's Rights Act (District of Columbia), * June 6, 1896: Filled Cheese Act, * January 13, 1897: Stock Reservoir Act, , ( et seq.) * March 2, 1897: Tea Importation Act, , ( et seq.)


55th United States Congress The 55th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1897, to M ...

* July 24, 1897:
Dingley Act The Dingley Act of 1897 (ch. 11, , July 24, 1897), introduced by U.S. Representative Nelson Dingley Jr., of Maine, raised tariffs in United States to counteract the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act of 1894, which had lowered rates. The bill came into ...
, Sess. 1, ch. 11, * April 20, 1898: Teller Amendment (Cuba), Sess. 2, Joint Res. 24, * April 25, 1898: Declaration of war on Spain ( Spanish–American War), Sess. 2, ch. 189, * June 1, 1898: Erdman Act, Sess. 2, ch. 370, * June 13, 1898: War Revenue Act of 1898, Sess. 2, ch. 448, * June 28, 1898: Curtis Act of 1898, Sess. 2, ch. 517, * July 1, 1898:
Bankruptcy Act of 1898 The Bankruptcy Act of 1898 ("Nelson Act", July 1, 1898, ch. 541, ) was the first United States Act of Congress involving bankruptcy to give companies an option of being protected from creditors. Previous attempts at federal bankruptcy laws had ...
(Henderson-Nelson Act), Sess. 2, ch. 541, * July 7, 1898: Newlands Resolution, Sess. 2, Joint Res. 55, * March 3, 1899: Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Sess. 3, ch. 425,


56th United States Congress The 56th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1899, ...

* March 14, 1900: Gold Standard Act, Sess. 1, ch. 41, * April 2, 1900: Foraker Act, Sess. 1, ch. 191, (Puerto Rico Civil Code) * April 30, 1900: Hawaiian Organic Act, Sess. 1, ch. 339,


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of United States Federal Legislation 1789-1901 1789