James Madison suggested the idea of developing a congressional library at the new capital Washington City. Before that, the ...

The original purpose of the Library of Congress was to provide unbiased research to members of Congress. Each year, the ...

On Jan. 30, 1815, President James Madison approved an act of Congress appropriating $23,950 to purchase Thomas Jefferson’s library of 6,487 volumes. After capturing Washington, D.C. in 1814 ...