United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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Discover the rich heritage of “the People's House” and its central role in U.S. history since 1789. Explore its unique story and the men and women who have shaped it. Browse its collections. Access historical data and other research resources.

Whereas: Stories from the People’s House

April 22, 2024

An Empire or a Gavel: Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed’s Opposition to the Spanish-American War

In late March 1898, Republican Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed of Maine found himself in an unfamiliar position. Known as “Czar Reed” for his iron-fisted control over the legislative process, Reed now struggled to maintain the direction of the House’s agenda as war loomed on the horizon.
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House History

Opening Day of the 65th Congress

This Hearst-Pathe News footage features the opening day of the 65th Congress (1917–1919) on April 2, 1917, as President Woodrow Wilson calls Congress into special session to ask for a declaration of war against Germany. Suffrage activists escort Representative-elect Jeannette Rankin of Montana from the Sewall-Belmont House to the nearby Capitol. Speaker of the House James Clark of Missouri and Minority Leader James Mann of Illinois pose outside the Capitol, as police corral pacifist protestors on the East Front.
Source: National Archives Records Administration
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About The Offices

This site is a collaborative project between the Office of the Historian and the Clerk of the House's Office of Art and Archives. The offices preserve, collect, and interpret the heritage of the U.S. House, serving as the institution’s memory and a resource for Members, staff, and the general public.

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Featured Collection Object

Featured Oral History

The Long Struggle for Representation: Oral Histories of African Americans in Congress

The Long Struggle for Representation: Oral Histories of African Americans in Congress

Featured Records

Oregon Woman’s Letter for Suffrage

Oregon Woman’s Letter for Suffrage

Proposed Pacific Telegraph

Proposed Pacific Telegraph

Historical Highlight

A Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Dissolve the United States Senate April 27, 1911

A Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Dissolve the United States Senate

Soil Conservation in the New Deal Congress April 27, 1935

Soil Conservation in the New Deal Congress

Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov