Founding of the Library of Congress
- When
- 1800–1802
- Where
- Washington, D.C.; United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
- Episodes
- 3
On April 24, 1800, President John Adams signed an act of Congress establishing the Library of Congress, appropriating $5,000 for books and a suitable room. Books ordered from London formed a collection of 740 books and three maps housed in the United States Capitol. The event covers the library's founding and immediate early development, not the broader history of the federal government or the Capitol.
Episodes
- Act of Congress establishing the library
John Adams signed an act on April 24, 1800, appropriating $5,000 to purchase books and fit up a suitable apartment.
- First books and housing in the Capitol
Books ordered from London formed a collection of 740 books and three maps, housed in the Capitol when Congress arrived in November 1800.
- Jefferson's 1802 administrative bill
On January 26, 1802, Jefferson signed a bill creating the librarian of Congress appointment and a Joint Committee on the Library.
Background and detail
Background. The idea of a congressional library predates the founding itself: in 1783, James Madison, a Founding Father and the nation's fourth president, proposed creating a congressional library but failed to gain the necessary support for the idea.
Establishment. On April 24, 1800, the Library of Congress was established when John Adams, the nation's second president, signed an act of Congress. The act appropriated $5,000 "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress...and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them."
Initial Collection. Books were ordered from London, forming a collection of 740 books and three maps. When Congress moved to Washington in November 1800, this small congressional library was housed in the Capitol. The founding made the Library of Congress the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States.
Early Organization. Thomas Jefferson, Adams' successor, played a crucial role in shaping the library's development. On January 26, 1802, Jefferson signed a bill allowing the president to appoint the librarian of Congress and establishing a Joint Committee on the Library to oversee it.
People involved
- John Adams · U.S. president who signed the act establishing the Library of Congress
- James Madison · Proposed creating a congressional library in 1783
- Thomas Jefferson · Successor president who signed the 1802 bill organizing the library's administration
Sources
- Library of Congress Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-23
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.