Government Documents on Western U.S. History

Government publications are excellent sources of information on Western U.S. History. Purdue Libraries have many publications on this subject. Most of these are located in the HSSE Library but some will be located in other campus libraries depending on their subject. While most recent U.S. Government publications are in the Library Catalog, some are not. Locating these requires using a number of print and CD-ROM indexes.

The principal index for U.S. Government Publications is the GPO CD-ROM located near the HSSE Reference Desk. This indexes U.S. documents froim 1976 to the present and its print counterpart is Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications HSSE REF & Periodicals 016.353 Un36 and is accessible here from 1994-present.

Additional indexes for historical U.S. Documents include:

Cumulative Title Index to U.S. Public Documents 1789-1976 HSSE REF 016.353 C913
American Statistics Index HSSE Periodicals 317.3 Am35
(Indexes U.S. Govt. statistical publications)
CIS Index HSSE REF 328.73005 C76
(Indexes congressional publications and legislative histories 1970-present)
CIS U.S. Serial Set Index & Cartobibliography 1789-1969 HSSE REF 328.73 C761c
CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents 1789-1909 HSSE REF 351.73 C 497 1990
CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents 1910-1932 HSSE REF 351.73 C497 1996
(Purdue does not have the accompanying microfiche collection for these Executive Branch documents indexes but Indiana
University and the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign have it and these items can be requested thru Interlibrary Loan.)
CIS Congressional Committee Hearings Index 1833-1969 HSSE REF 348.731 C76
(Some of these hearings (1869-1934) available in Senate Library microfiche in HSSE's 2nd floor microforms collections.)
Guide to U.S. Government Publications HSSE REF Desk 015.73 G943
Checklist of United States Publications 1789-1909 HSSE REF 016.353 Un3c3
(Online access courtesy Evergreen State College)

General U.S. document legal and regulatory reference sources include:

U.S. Code HSSE REF 345.11 Un3co
U.S. Statutes at Large & here HSSE REF 345.11 Un3 & HSSE MF 1789-1903
Slip Laws HSSE DOC REF AE 2.110:
U.S. Reports HSSE DOC JU 6.8:
Lawyer's Guide to U.S. Supreme Court Reports HSSE REF 345.4 Un37r
Lexis-Nexis Academic (Purdue Users Only-Provides access to historical and contemporary federal and state court opinions)
Federal Register HSSE REF 353.005 Un34 (also in MF)
Lists of Sections Affected (LSA) HSSE REF 353.005 C64a
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) HSSE REF 353.005 C64
Index to the Code of Federal Regulations HSSE REF 353.005 C64

Other U.S. document reference sources include:

Statistical Abstract of the United States HSSE REF Desk & Periodicals 317.3 St29 & HSSE DOC C 3.134:
County and City Data Book HSSE REF Desk 317.3 St29sco
Historical Statistics of the United States HSSE REF Desk 317.3 St29sh (Online-Purdue Users Only)
U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey Annual Reports (Online 1852-1950) HIKS Repository C 4.1 (1851-1955)
Digest of Education Statistics HSSE REF Desk & Periodicals 370.973 Un3de
Uniform Crime Reports: Crime in the U.S. HSSE REF Desk & Periodicals 364 Un35
Hispanic Americans in Congress HSSE DOC Y 1.1/7:103-325
Women in Congress HSSE DOC Y 1.1/7:101-238
Black Americans in Congress HSSE DOC Y 1.1/7:101-117
Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress HSSE REF 328.73 D63b 1997
Guide to Records of the U.S. House of Representatives at the National
Archives, 1789-1989 HSSE DOC Y 1.1/7:100-245
Guide to Records of the U.S. Senate at the National Archives 1789-1989 HSSE DOC Y 1.1/3:100-42
A Guide to Research Collections of Former Members of the U.S. House of
Representatives, 1789-1989 HSSE DOC Y 1.1/7:100-171
Robert Kvasnicka. The Trans-Mississippi West 1804-1912 HSSE REF 978.02 T687 1993
Guide to Records of the National Archives (various regions) HSSE DOC REF AE 1.108:R 24/3

Additional congressional publications in HSSE include:

Congressional Bills (1799-1873)
Journal of the House of Representatives(1789-1875) XJH HSSE Repository & HIKS Repo
Senate Journal(1789-1875) XJS HSSE Repository & HIKS Repo
Senate Executive Journal(1789-1875)(Lists Presidential Nominations) HIKS Repo Y 1.3:EX 3 & HSSE DOC Y 1.3/4:
Congressional Debates (1824-1837) HSSE Repository X
Congressional Globe (1835-1874) HSSE Repository X
Congressional Record (1874-present)(Online 1994-present) HSSE Repository X & X/A:
Annals of Congress (1789-1824) HSSE Repository X
Congressional Serial Set (Limited titles online) HSSE Repository Y 1.1/2 plus some in HSSE MF
Lexis-Nexis Digital Congressional Serial Set (Purdue Users Only)

Recent congressional committee documents and reports (older ones are in the Serial Set)
Senate Documents HSSE DOC Y 1.1/3:
Senate Treaty Documents HSSE DOC Y 1.1/4:
Senate Reports HSSE DOC Y 1.1/5:
Senate Executive Reports HSSE DOC Y 1.1/6:
House Documents HSSE DOC Y 1.1/7:
House Reports HSSE DOC Y 1.1/8:
Online access to these documents and reports 1995-present is here

Some congressional bills are in the HSSE microfiche cabinets. A finding aid for these bills is produced by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Bills from 1993-present are accessible here

Senate Bills HSSE MF Y 1.4/1:
Senate Resolutions HSSE MF Y 1.4/2:
Senate Joint Resolutions HSSE MF Y 1.4/3:
Senate Concurrent Resolutions HSSE MF Y 1.4/4:
Senate Printed Amendments HSSE MF Y 1.4/5:
House Bills HSSE MF Y 1.4/6:
House Resolutions HSSE MF Y 1.4/7:
House Joint Resolutions HSSE MF Y 1.4/8:
House Concurrent Resolutiosn HSSE MF Y 1.4/9:

Congressional committee publications are also excellent historical information sources because these committees are responsible for funding and overseeing federal agencies and the programs they administer. Useful resources include:

CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index, 1833-1964 HSSE REF 348.731 C76
Hearings from U.S. Senate Library, 1869-1934 HSSE MF

Many congressional committees conduct hearings and issue publications on various aspects of Western U.S. History. Some of these committees with their current SuDoc numbers include:

House Agriculture Committee HSSE DOC Y 4.AG 8/1:
Senate Agriculture Committee HSSE DOC Y 4.AG 8/3:
House Appropriations Committee HSSE MF Y 4.AP 6/1:
Senate Appropriations Committee HSSE MF Y 4.AP 6/2: (Appropriations committees are excellent sources for project expenditure data.)
Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee HSSE DOC Y 4.C 73/7:
House Energy & Commerce Committee HSSE DOC Y 4.C 73/8:
Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee HSSE DOC Y 4.EN 2:
Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs HSSE DOC Y 4.IN 2/11:
House Resources Committee HSSE DOC Y 4.R 31/3:

Committee websites are available through the House of Representatives and Senate websites.

Various executive branch agencies also produce publications relevant to Western American history. These agencies and their general SuDoc numbers include:

Decennial Censuses (Through 1979) HIKS REPO 317.3 C7 & 317.3 C 12 & online 1790-Present
Historical U.S. Census Browser(1790-1960)Courtesy-University of Virginia Library
1980 Census-present HSSE REPO C 3.223:
1990 & 2000 Census HSSE REPO C 3.223 and online through the Census Bureau website
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HSSE DOC & ENGR D 103
Bureau of Indian Affairs HSSE DOC & HIKS Repository I 20
National Park Service History & Culture(most in HSSE) HSSE DOC I 29
National Park Service History Series HSSE DOC I 29.58/2:
Historic American Buildings Survey HSSE DOC I 29.74:
Bureau of Reclamation ENGR & HIKS Repository I 27
Bureau of Land Management HSSE DOC & LIFE I 53
Bureau of Land Management Digital Photo Library (NEW)
Foreign Relations of the United States HSSE Periodicals 327.73 Un32
National Archives Anchorage, Alaska
National Archives Laguna Niguel, California
National Archives Riverside, California
National Archives San Francisco, California
National Archives Denver, Colorado
National Archives Fort Worth, Texas
National Archives Seattle, Washington
Smithsonian Libraries Digital Collections
Western Waters Digital Library
Yellowstone National Park Archives

Western State Government Historical Agency Websites & Document Collections include:

Alaska's Digital Archives (NEW)
Alaska State Archives
Alaska State Library
Arizona Memory Project (NEW)
Arizona State Library, Archives, & Public Records
California State Archives & Golden Gate Museum
California State Library
Calisphere(Courtesy-California Digital Library)(NEW)
Colorado State Archives
Colorado Virtual Library(NEW)
Hawaii State Archives
Idaho Digital Resources (NEW)
Idaho State Library
Kansas Memory (NEW)
Kansas State Historical Society/State Archives
Kansas State Library
Montana State Historical Society/Archives
Montana Memory Project(NEW)
Montana State Library
Nebraska Library Commission
Nebraska Memories (NEW)
Nebraska State Historical Society (Archives)
Online Nevada Encyclopedia(NEW)
Nevada State Library & Archives
New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center, & Archives
New Mexico Digital History Project (NEW)
North Dakota-Digital Horizons: A Plains Media Resource (NEW)
North Dakota State Archives & Historical Research Library
North Dakota State Library
Oklahoma Crossroads (NEW)
Oklahoma State Archives & Records Management
Oregon Encyclopedia (NEW)
Oregon History Project(NEW)
Oregon State Archives
Oregon State Library
South Dakota Memory (Under development)(NEW)
South Dakota State Archives
South Dakota State Library
Texas Heritage Online (NEW)
Texas Historical Commission
Texas-Portal to Texas History (NEW)
Texas State Library & Archives Commission
Utah-Digital Utah (NEW)
Utah History Encyclopedia(NEW)
Utah State Archives
Utah State Library
Utah's Most Elusive(Courtesy-Utah State University Library, contains U.S. and state agency documents.)
Washington State Library
Wyoming State Archives
Wyoming Memory (NEW)