House History Timeline
Fast Facts
Brush up on House history with a series of fact sheets on Speakers, the House Rostrum, Official Records, House Committees, and other related topics.
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Since its creation in 1789, the U.S. House of Representatives has occupied a central place in American government. The Constitution delegates responsibilities to the House that make it a unique feature in the architecture of the federal government. In addition, the constitutional requirement that all Representatives must be elected every two years makes the House especially responsive to popular will. This timeline features some of the significant institutional and legislative milestones important to both House practice and procedure, as well as U.S. history itself.