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The 1776 Philadelphia ConstitutionThe laws of the land, set down plainly — and put to the people, one provision at a time.

The Register

Every law Congress has passed

97,863 laws from 1789 to 2026, as printed in the Statutes at Large, the official record of every act of Congress. 51,799 are public laws; 46,064 are private laws, which apply to named people or places, such as pensions, land claims and relief from debts.

Clear

210 laws of the 16th Congress, 1819–1821

  1. II: providing for jails in certain cases, for the safe custody of persons committed under the authority of the United States.

    Public Resolution II · 3 Stat. 646 · March 3, 1821 · Original text

  2. Resolution authorizing the President of the United States to cause astronomical observations to be made, to ascertain the longitude of the Capitol, in the city of Washington, from some known meridian in Europe.

    Public Resolution III · 3 Stat. 648 · March 3, 1821 · Original text

  3. An Act for the relief of General Robert Swartwout.

    Ch. LV · 6 Stat. 261 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  4. An Act or passing to the credit of Nathaniel Mien certain moneys by him disbursed in the public service.

    Ch. LVI · 6 Stat. 261 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  5. An Act authorizing the Secretary of State to issue a Patent to Thomas Oxley.

    Ch. LVII · 6 Stat. 261 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  6. An Act for the relief of John Webster.

    Ch. LVIII · 6 Stat. 261 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  7. An Act concerning Thomas Shields and others.

    Ch. LIX · 6 Stat. 261 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  8. An Act for the relief of Robert Buntin.

    Ch. LX · 6 Stat. 262 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  9. An Act authorizing the settlement of the accounts of the late Le Roy Opie.

    Ch. LXI · 6 Stat. 262 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

  10. An Act to extend the term of Samuel Parker’s patents, for his improvement in currying and finishing leather of all kinds.

    Ch. LXII · 6 Stat. 262 · March 3, 1821 · Private law · Original text

By Congress

From the U.S. Statutes at Large, volumes 1 through 138, published by the Government Publishing Office on GovInfo; laws signed since the latest printed volume come from GovInfo’s public and private law files. Treaties, proclamations and concurrent resolutions, which share those volumes, are not laws and are left out. The oldest volumes were digitized from print, so a few dates could not be read; for those we show the year from the laws printed alongside. Short names come from each law’s own “may be cited as” clause.