About the American Congress Digital Archives Portal
The American Congress Digital Archives Portal is a collaborative, non-partisan project that makes congressional archives available online, bringing the history of the People’s Branch to the people. We provide open access to archival materials and the descriptive information (metadata) about those materials.
This site is a prototype created with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, 2021-2022. Project documentation is available in the white paper, as well as in a project briefing video. The project will continue to expand partnerships, add archival collections, and improve site functionality in the future.
Below you will find answers to commonly asked questions.
What are congressional archives?
Congressional archives are the primary materials generated by Congress and that document the work of Congress. They are separated into official records and personal papers. Personal papers, which this portal features, include materials created or received by an individual Member of Congress as documentation of their career, the organization and functions of the office, and the work of office staff.
Why create an online portal?
The personal papers of Members of Congress support scholarship about American democracy and the work of the legislative branch. They show how Congress provides oversight, creates legislation, and represents the American people. Unlike presidential papers, which are centralized in one location with dedicated staff and funding, congressional collections are geographically dispersed among institutions large and small with varying degrees of resources. For researchers, collections may be difficult to use, both because of a lack of travel funding and the breadth and varying levels of description in congressional archives. This portal will provide easier, more equitable access to scholars, educators, and the public by bringing together sources from multiple institutions into a single online platform.
Who created this site?
West Virginia University Libraries partnered with the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at The University of Kansas and the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education for the initial phase of the project. Funding was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project also included an advisory board composed of leading individuals in the areas of congressional archives and scholarship. Additional partners and collection materials will be added in the future.
What is included in the portal?
In the initial phase, materials from three partner institutions are included. Materials were chosen to test the usability of the platform and to help prioritize those materials most useful to users. The materials in this phase were created in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
What happens next with the project?
We plan to expand the number of project partners and sources leading up to the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and to continue the project beyond that date. We also wish to begin supporting public-facing scholarship, civic and history education initiatives, and computational research using materials in the portal. We aim to be the authoritative resource for studying Congress using Members’ personal archives. We believe the project will lead to new topics of exploration and new methods of scholarly research, as well as becoming an indispensable resource for civic education and knowledge of America’s constitutional democracy.
Project Team
- Jody Brumage, Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
- Danielle Emerling (Project Director), West Virginia University
- Sarah Gard, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, The University of Kansas
- Steven Giessler, West Virginia University
- Tracy McCormick, West Virginia University
- Travis Williamson, West Virginia University
Advisory Board
- Jodi Allison-Bunnell, Montana State University
- Audrey Coleman, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, The University of Kansas
- Sean Kelly, University of California Channel Islands
- Frank Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center
- Sheryl Vogt, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
- Alison White, U.S. Senate Historical Office
- Jay Wyatt, Center for Legislative Archives, NARA
Special Thanks
- Ashley Brooker, West Virginia University
- Emily Fidelman, West Virginia University
- Hannah McCoy, West Virginia University
- Jessica McMillen, West Virginia University
