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History of the United States Senate

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Senators in the 110th Congress, January 2007 110th US Senate class photo.jpg
Senators in the 110th Congress, January 2007
Historical graph of party control of the Senate and House as well as the Presidency Combined--Control of the U.S. House of Representatives - Control of the U.S. Senate.png
Historical graph of party control of the Senate and House as well as the Presidency

The United States Senate is the upper legislative chamber of the United States Congress, the federal legislature of the United States government. Its origins can be traced back to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where James Madison proposed the establishment of a bicameral national legislature in his Virginia Plan.

Contents

The Senate was conceived as a check on the House of Representatives, where congressional districts are allocated to each state on the basis of population. By contrast, each state, regardless of size or population, is equally represented in the Senate through two senators, with each elected for a six-year term, "originally chosen by state legislature, however the 17th Amendment (1913) mandated direct popular election". [2]

The final structure of the Senate emerged from the Connecticut Compromise, a closely contested 5–4 vote, which granted smaller states equal representation in the Senate. [3]

1789-1865

The United States Congress, established by the U.S. Constitution, met for the first time at New York City's Federal Hall on March 4, 1789. [4] In its early years, spectators and journalists were not allowed to participate in senatorial meetings due to the Senate wanting secrecy. While the reasons for this are unknown, they likely wished to debate uninhibitedly behind closed doors and without public pressure, which prevented the publication of proceedings. [5] [6] [7]

A significant procedural issue of the early Senate was the role of the vice president as the President of the Senate. The first vice president was allowed to craft legislation and participate in debates, but these rights were quickly removed. Although the Founding Fathers intended the Senate to be the slower and more deliberate legislative body, in the early years of the Republic, the House spent more time considering legislation. For instance, Alexander Hamilton's (then Secretary of the Treasury) Bank of the United States and Assumption Bill passed the Senate with little difficulty, but faced significant opposition and lengthy debate in the House. [8]

In 1797, Thomas Jefferson began the vice presidential tradition of only attending Senate sessions on special occasions. Despite his frequent absences, Jefferson significantly impacted the Senate's parliamentary procedures with his 1801 Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States , which is still used today. [9]

In 1804, the House of Representatives, reflecting public and presidential sentiment against Federalist judges, voted to impeach Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. However, the Senate voted to acquit him, establishing a precedent that impeachment should not be used for political disagreement. [10]

Aaron Burr, as vice president, presided over the impeachment trial. After the trial, Burr said: [11]

"This House is a sanctuary; a citadel of law, of order, and of liberty; and it is here–in this exalted refuge; here if anywhere, will resistance be made to the storms of political phrensy and the silent arts of corruption." [12]

In the following decades, the Senate played an increasingly visible role in national political debates. John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Stephen A. Douglas, and Henry Clay played roles in national policy discussions. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

The Webster–Hayne debate of January 1830 is typically considered as a significant moment in Senate history, pitting the sectional interests of Daniel Webster's New England against Robert Y. Hayne's South. [18]

Slavery and sectional conflict

In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, slavery was the central issue shaping debate in the United States Senate. Unlike the House of Representatives, where population differences gave the North increasing influence, the Senate’s equal representation of states allowed slave states to retain substantial power. This structure made the chamber a focal point for sectional tension and placed ongoing pressure on lawmakers to maintain a balance between free and slave states. [19]

Debate over Compromise of 1850 in the Old Senate Chamber. Digitally restored. Henry Clay Senate3.jpg
Debate over Compromise of 1850 in the Old Senate Chamber. Digitally restored.

To preserve this balance, Congress adopted a series of legislative compromises. The Missouri Compromise of 1820, brokered by Henry Clay, admitted Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, temporarily stabilizing sectional equilibrium. However, as the nation expanded westward, maintaining parity became increasingly difficult. [20] The Compromise of 1850, negotiated by Clay and Stephen A. Douglas, addressed the status of territories acquired from Mexico and included a strengthened Fugitive Slave Law, further intensifying national debate. [21]

In 1856, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts was assaulted on the Senate floor by Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina following a speech criticizing slavery and its supporters. [22]

1865–1913

In the decades following the Civil War, the Senate addressed major national questions such as Reconstruction and monetary policy. During the Third Party System, state legislatures—dominated by strong party organizations—determined Senate elections, ensuring that party leaders and influential figures could secure seats. [23] This era also coincided with rapid industrial expansion, when entrepreneurs and financiers gained prestige comparable to that of military leaders, and several entered the Senate. [24]

In 1870, Hiram Revels of Mississippi became the first African American senator. Chosen by state Republicans under pressure from Black legislators, Revels filled a short unexpired term and was seated after a 48–8 Senate vote following objections from some members. Revels used his brief tenure to advocate for civil rights and protest racial segregation. [25] Four years later, Mississippi's legislature appointed Blanche Bruce, who served a full term from 1875 to 1881 and presided over the Senate in 1879. He was the last African American senator until 1967. [24]

Between 1871 and 1898, the Senate rejected or stalled numerous treaties, including reciprocal trade agreements and proposals to annex the Dominican Republic and the Danish West Indies. It also blocked an arbitration treaty with Britain. In 1898, the Senate came close to rejecting the treaty that ended the Spanish–American War. [26]

By the turn of the century, Senate leadership was dominated by a small group of Republicans, notably Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island, Orville Platt of Connecticut, John Coit Spooner of Wisconsin, William Boyd Allison of Iowa, and national party figure Mark Hanna of Ohio. Aldrich in particular shaped federal tax and tariff policy and played a central role in establishing the Federal Reserve System. Among Democrats, Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland emerged as a major figure. [24]

In 1907, Charles Curtis of Kansas became the first Native American senator. A registered member of the Kaw Nation with Osage and Potawatomi heritage, Curtis chaired the Indian Affairs Committee. He promoted assimilationist policies and sponsored legislation that limited tribal sovereignty, reflecting the federal government's prevailing approach to Native American affairs at the time. [27]

1913–1945

From 1913 to 1945, the United States Senate underwent numerous political reforms. During this period, it adopted procedural reforms, clearer rules for debate, and stronger leadership structures. [28]

Democratization and representation

In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment required senators to be elected directly by voters instead of being chosen by state legislatures. [29] This reform made senators directly accountable to the electorate.

The period also brought early changes in Senate representation. On November 21, 1922, Rebecca Felton of Georgia became the first woman to serve in the Senate, although her appointment lasted only one day. [30] In 1928, Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo of New Mexico became the first Latino senator, filling a three-month unexpired term. [24] In 1932, Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman elected to the Senate. Initially appointed following her husband's death, she later won re-election twice in her own right. [31] In 1935, Dennis Chávez of New Mexico became the first Latino elected to a full Senate term. [32]

Regulation of debate and obstruction

The Senate also revised the way it handled extended debate. Senators had long been able to delay legislation through the filibuster, but it was used infrequently before the twentieth century. [33]

During World War I, fewer than twenty senators, including William Jennings Bryan, blocked a bill that would have allowed U.S. merchant ships to be armed. In response, the Senate adopted the cloture rule in 1917, allowing debate to end with a two-thirds vote. [34] President Woodrow Wilson criticized the senators involved, calling them a “group of willful men.” [34]

Leadership and agenda control

Leadership within the Senate became more structured during this period. The position of Senate Majority Leader was created, replacing an informal system in which influence was exercised mainly by committee chairs or senior senators, such as Daniel Webster or Nelson Aldrich. [35]

At first, the role carried limited authority beyond priority to speak, and divisions within the Democratic Party—especially between northern liberals and southern conservatives—further limited its effectiveness. [36]

From 1923 to 1937, Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas served as Democratic leader of the Senate and played a key role in guiding legislation during both Republican administrations and the New Deal. He supported Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover on measures such as the Muscle Shoals project and the Hoover Tariff and later helped advance much of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation. His influence was widely noted; humorist Will Rogers joked, “Congress doesn't pass legislation any more, they just wave at the bills as they go by.” [35]

In 1937, the Senate strengthened the role of the majority leader by adopting the rule of first recognition, which gave the leader priority when seeking recognition to speak. This change gave Senate leaders greater control over the legislative agenda. [37]

Institutional independence

Throughout this period, the Senate continued to act independently of the executive branch. Even as presidential power expanded during the New Deal era, senators asserted their authority to oppose proposals they believed exceeded constitutional or fiscal limits. [38]

In 1937, the Senate rejected President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s proposal to expand the Supreme Court, commonly known as the “court-packing” plan. The decision demonstrated the chamber’s willingness to resist presidential initiatives, even during a period of strong executive leadership. [39]

That same year, the Senate also called for reduced federal deficits, further signaling its readiness to challenge presidential priorities when it disagreed with them. [40]

1945-present

After World War II ended in 1945, the Senate focused heavily on Cold War foreign policy. Between 1945 and 1953, it ratified U.S. participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 and approved funding for the Truman Doctrine (1947) and Marshall Plan (1948), aimed at containing Soviet influence and aiding European recovery. [41]

In the early 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist investigations dominated Senate attention, leading to widespread accusations of subversion. The Senate censured McCarthy in December 1954 by a 67–22 vote, effectively ending his influence. [42]

During the 1950s and 1960s, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson centralized power through committee control and persuasion, helping pass civil rights legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Procedural changes included lowering the cloture threshold for ending filibusters from two-thirds to three-fifths in 1975. [43]

In the early 1950s, the Senate was shaken by anti-communist investigations led by Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. McCarthy claimed that communists had infiltrated the federal government and other influential institutions. Over time, many of his accusations were found to lack evidence, and his investigations expanded to include targets such as the U.S. Army, universities, Hollywood, and business leaders. In 1954, the Senate formally condemned his conduct, effectively ending his influence. [44]

At the same time, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson rose to power as Senate Majority Leader. He gained significant control over committee assignments and used that authority to move legislation forward. Johnson later drew on this experience to help pass major civil rights laws, first as Senate leader and later as president, overcoming resistance that had stalled similar efforts for decades. [45]

From the 84th Congress to the 96th Congress (1955–1981), the Democratic Party held the majority of seats, the longest continuous majority in United States Senate history. [46]

Diversity in the Senate

Representation in the U.S. Senate expanded slowly over the second half of the 20th century and into the early 21st century, reflecting gradual changes in both Senate membership and institutional roles. In 1959, Hiram Fong of Hawaii became the first Asian American elected to the Senate, where he supported civil rights legislation and reforms aimed at expanding voting access for Asian Americans. [24]

In 1966, Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts became the first African American to be popularly elected to the Senate since the Reconstruction era. A liberal Republican, he served two terms and focused on civil rights and social reform. [47] This progress continued in 1992, when Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois became the first African American woman elected to the Senate. During her single term, she emphasized education reform and gun control. [48]

Changes in representation were also reflected in Senate roles beyond elected office. In 1971, Paulette Desell became the first female Senate page, following her appointment by Senator Jacob K. Javits. [24] In 2009, Kathie Alvarez became the first woman to serve as a legislative clerk in the Senate. [49]

In the 21st century, further milestones marked broader diversity within the chamber. In 2012, Tammy Baldwin was elected as the first openly gay U.S. senator. [50] The following year, Mazie Hirono became the first Asian American woman elected to the Senate. In 2017, Catherine Cortez Masto became the first Latina and Mexican American woman to serve in the Senate. [51]

In 2025, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Angela Alsobrooks made history as the first African American women to serve simultaneously in the Senate. That same year, Andy Kim was elected as New Jersey’s first Asian American senator and the first Korean American to serve in the chamber. [52] [53]

Senators who served as President

17 US Presidents have previously been members of the Senate. [54]

NameYears as SenatorYears as PresidentState
James Monroe 1790-17941817-1825VA
John Quincy Adams 1803-18081825-1829MA
Andrew Jackson 1797-1798; 1823-18251829-1837TN
Martin Van Buren 1821-18281837-1841NY
William Henry Harrison 1825-18281841OH
John Tyler 1827-18361841-1845VA
Franklin Pierce 1837-18421853-1857NH
James Buchanan 1834-18451857-1861PA
Andrew Johnson 1857-1862, 18751865-1869TN
Benjamin Harrison 1881-18871889-1893IN
Warren G. Harding 1915-19211921-1923OH
Harry S. Truman 1935-19451945-1953MO
John F. Kennedy 1953-19601961-1963MA
Lyndon B. Johnson 1949-19611963-1969TX
Richard M. Nixon 1950-19531969-1974CA
Barack Obama 2005-20082009-2017IL
Joe Biden 1973-20092021-2025DE

See also

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Booknotes interview with Donald Ritchie on Press Gallery, July 7, 1991, C-SPAN

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ↑ "A Visual Guide".
  2. ↑ "United States Senate | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2025-09-30. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  3. ↑ Brown, Robert E. (1970-02-01). "The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787. By Gordon S. Wood. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press for the Institute of Early American History and Culture. 1969. Pp. xiv, 653. $15.00.)" . The American Historical Review. 75 (3): 919–920. doi:10.1086/ahr/75.3.919. ISSN   1937-5239.
  4. ↑ "Treasures of Congress: The First Congress". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  5. ↑ Kratz, Jessie (2015-04-29). "Opening the Doors to Debate". Pieces of History. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Chamber Access". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  7. ↑ Kratz, Jessie (2015-04-29). "Opening the Doors to Debate". Pieces of History. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  8. ↑ "Alexander Hamilton, an excerpt from Financial Founding Fathers: The Men Who Made America Rich by Robert E. Wright and David J. Cowen". press.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  9. ↑ "About the Vice President | Historical Overview". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
  10. ↑ "The impeachment of Samuel Chase". www.bryancountynews.com. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  11. ↑ Lepore, Jill (2019-10-21). "The Invention—and Reinvention—of Impeachment". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  12. ↑ Caro: Master of the Senate, 2002, p. 14.
  13. ↑ "Senator John C. Calhoun's Speech to the Senate, March 4, 1850 | U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center". www.visitthecapitol.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  14. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Classic Senate Speeches". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Classic Senate Speeches". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Senate: April 25, 1861: Senator Stephen Douglas Speaks Before the Illinois Legislature". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  17. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Classic Senate Speeches". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  18. ↑ "The Webster-Hayne Debates". Teaching American History. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  19. ↑ "13. The Sectional Crisis | THE AMERICAN YAWP". 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  20. ↑ "Missouri Compromise (1820)". National Archives. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  21. ↑ "The Compromise of 1850 as Introduced by Senator Henry Clay, January 29, 1850 | U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center". www.visitthecapitol.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  22. ↑ "U.S. Senate: The Caning of Senator Charles Sumner". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  23. ↑ Perry, Carol (2013-01-11). "University Press Scholarship Online20135University Press Scholarship Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press Last visited July 2012. Contact publisher for pricing information URL: www.universitypressscholarship.com" . Reference Reviews. 27 (1): 13–14. doi:10.1108/09504121311290327. ISSN   0950-4125.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ref, Cross (2019), "Book Chapter Submission Validation Test", Book Title Submission Validation Test, Somewhere, MA: The Test Institution, pp. 87–107, retrieved 2025-09-30
  25. ↑ Barreyre, Nicolas (September 2020). "Eric Foner Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 New York, Harper & Row, 1988, <scp>xxx</scp>-690 p." . Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales. 75 (3–4): 814–817. doi:10.1017/ahss.2021.19. ISSN   0395-2649.
  26. ↑ Levin, N. Gordon; Perkins, Bradford (December 1968). "The Great Rapprochement: England and the United States, 1895-1914" . The Journal of American History. 55 (3): 669. doi:10.2307/1891065. ISSN   0021-8723. JSTOR   1891065.
  27. ↑ "Article 16, Treaty of the Maumee Rapids, 1817, from Indian Affairs, Laws and Treaties". doi.org. doi:10.3998/mpub.14435914.cmp.7 . Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  28. ↑ "Timeline 1913-1945 | U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center". www.visitthecapitol.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  29. ↑ Sherry, Michael (December 2010). "Julian E. Zelizer . Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security—From World War II to the War on Terrorism . New York : Basic Books . 2010 . Pp. v, 583. $35.00" . The American Historical Review. 115 (5): 1496–1497. doi:10.1086/ahr.115.5.1496. ISSN   0002-8762.
  30. ↑ "CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, November 1990". ICPSR Data Holdings. 1992-05-12. doi:10.3886/icpsr09617.v2 . Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  31. ↑ Proops, Ian (1997). "The Early Wittgenstein on Logical Assertion" . Philosophical Topics. 25 (2): 121–144. doi:10.5840/philtopics19972524. ISSN   0276-2080.
  32. ↑ Huginnie, A. Yvette; Gutiérrez, David G. (2006-07-01). "The Columbia History of Latinos in the United States since 1960" . The Western Historical Quarterly. 37 (2): 215. doi:10.2307/25443333. ISSN   0043-3810. JSTOR   25443333.
  33. ↑ Donnelly, Thomas C. (1932). "Freedom of Speech in the Senate: A Restatement of the Case in the Light of Contemporary Events". Social Science. 7 (3): 225–236. ISSN   0037-7848.
  34. 1 2 Koger, Gregory (2010). Filibustering. University of Chicago Press. doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226449661.001.0001. ISBN   978-0-226-44965-4.
  35. 1 2 Cohen, Ronald D. (February 2008). "LeRoy Ashby. With Amusement For All: A History of American Popular Culture Since 1830. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2006. 688 pp. Cloth $39.95" . History of Education Quarterly. 48 (1): 133–136. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5959.2008.00128.x. ISSN   0018-2680.
  36. ↑ "U.S. Senate: About Parties and Leadership | Majority and Minority Leaders". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  37. ↑ Uslaner, Eric M. (September 1990). "The Transformation of the U.S. Senate. By Barbara Sinclair. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989. 233p. $28.50. - Call to Order: Floor Politics in the House and Senate. By Steven S. Smith. Washington: Brookings Institution, 1989. 269p. $31.95 cloth, $11.95 paper" . American Political Science Review. 84 (3): 1016–1017. doi:10.2307/1962827. ISSN   0003-0554. JSTOR   1962827.
  38. ↑ "U.S. Senate: The Idea of the Senate". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  39. ↑ Association, Texas State Historical. "The Court-Packing Plan of 1937: A Turning Point in American Politics". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  40. ↑ Staff, N. P. R. (2011-07-16). "1937: When U.S. Austerity Turned To Disaster". NPR. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  41. ↑ "Treaties". U.S. Senate. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  42. ↑ Oshinsky, David M. (1983). A Conspiracy So Immense: The World of Joe McCarthy. Free Press. ISBN   978-0029234105.
  43. ↑ "Filibusters and Cloture". U.S. Senate. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  44. ↑ HEALE, M. J. (December 2001). "Ellen Schrecker, Many Are The Crimes: McCarthyism in America (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999, £11.50). Pp. 573. ISBN 0 691 04870 3" . Journal of American Studies. 35 (3): 499–550. doi:10.1017/s0021875801406736. ISSN   0021-8758.
  45. ↑ de Gier, Erik (2014-06-01). "De Amerikaanse ambitie van Lyndon Johnson - Robert Caro, The years of Lyndon Johnson. The passage of power (Alfred A. Knopf; New York 2012) 736 p., ill., €34,99 ISBN 9780679405078" . Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis. 127 (2): 364–366. doi:10.5117/tvgesch2014.2.gier. ISSN   0040-7518.
  46. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Party Division". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  47. ↑ Scott, H.M. (1991-06-01). "Book Reviews : The New Cambridge Modern History. Volume Two, 2nd edition: The Reformation, 1520-1559. Edited by G. R. Elton. Cambridge University Press. 1990. x + 741 pp. 35.00" . German History. 9 (2): 235. doi:10.1177/026635549100900212 (inactive 30 January 2026). ISSN   0266-3554.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2026 (link)
  48. ↑ Uslaner, Eric M. (December 1990). "The Transformation of the U.S. Senate. By Barbara Sinclair. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989. 233p. $28.50. - Call to Order: Floor Politics in the House and Senate. By Steven S. Smith. Washington: Brookings Institution, 1989. 269p. $31.95 cloth, $11.95 paper" . American Political Science Review. 84 (3): 1016–1017. doi:10.2307/1962827. ISSN   0003-0554. JSTOR   1962827.
  49. ↑ "ABC News/Washington Post Poll, June 2008". ICPSR Data Holdings. 2009-08-31. doi:10.3886/icpsr24608 . Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  50. ↑ "CBS News/New York Times Callback Survey, November #1, 2012". ICPSR Data Holdings. 2013-07-08. doi:10.3886/icpsr34685.v1 . Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  51. ↑ "Cortez Masto, Catherine". International Year Book and Statesmen's Who's Who. doi:10.1163/1570-6664_iyb_sim_person_55416 . Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  52. ↑ "References" . Interactive Group Work: 461–478. 2025-01-24. doi:10.1002/9781394346691.ref. ISBN   978-1-394-34669-1.
  53. ↑ Smith, John. “Historic Firsts Mark the 119th Congress.” Congressional Quarterly, January 2025.
  54. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Senators Who Became President". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-19.

    References linked to notes

    References not linked to notes

    References

    • Barone, Michael, and Grant Ujifusa, The Almanac of American Politics 1976: The Senators, the Representatives and the Governors: Their Records and Election Results, Their States and Districts (1975); new edition every 2 years, informal practices, and member information)
    • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 2001–2004: A Review of Government and Politics: 107th and 108th Congresses (2005); summary of Congressional activity, as well as major executive and judicial decisions; based on Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report and the annual CQ almanac.
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1997–2001 (2002)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1993–1996 (1998)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1989–1992 (1993)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1985–1988 (1989)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1981–1984 (1985)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1977–1980 (1981)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1973–1976 (1977)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1969–1972 (1973)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1965–1968 (1969)
      • Congressional Quarterly Congress and the Nation: 1945–1964 (1965), the first of the series

    Institutional studies

    • Brady, David W. and Mathew D. McCubbins, eds. Party, Process, and Political Change in Congress: New Perspectives on the History of Congress (2002)
    • Cooper, John Milton, Jr. Breaking the Heart of the World: Woodrow Wilson and the Fight for the League of Nations. (Cambridge U. Press, 2001).
    • Feinman, Ronald L. Twilight of progressivism: the western Republican senators and the New Deal (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981)
    • Feldman, Gabe. "Death of a senator: Life expectancy and causes of death in 20th-century US senators." American journal of public health 93.5 (2003): 771-771. online
    • Finley, Keith M. Delaying the Dream: Southern Senators and the Fight Against Civil Rights, 1938-1965 (LSU Press, 2008).
    • Goodwin, George. "The seniority system in Congress." American Political Science Review 53.2 (1959): 412-436.
    • Gould, Lewis L. The Most Exclusive Club: A History Of The Modern United States Senate (2005) the latest full-scale history by a scholar
    • Harmon, F. Martin. Presidents versus Senators: Conflicts and Rivalries That Shaped America (2021) excerpt
    • Hernon, Joseph Martin. Profiles in Character: Hubris and Heroism in the U.S. Senate, 1789–1990 (Sharpe, 1997).
    • Hoebeke, C. H. The Road to Mass Democracy: Original Intent and the Seventeenth Amendment. (Transaction Books, 1995).
    • Hunt, Richard. (1998). "Using the Records of Congress in the Classroom," OAH Magazine of History, 12 (Summer): 34–37.
    • Johnson, Robert David. The Peace Progressives and American Foreign Relations. (Harvard U. Press, 1995). in 1920s and 1930s
    • Koger, Gregory. "Cloture reform and party government in the Senate, 1918–1925." Journal of politics 68.3 (2006): 708-719.
    • Malsberger, John W. From Obstruction to Moderation: The Transformation of Senate Conservatism, 1938–1952. (Susquehanna U. Press 2000).
    • Paulos, Michael Harold and Konden Smith Hansen. The Reed Smoot Hearings: The Investigation of a Mormon Senator and the Transformation of an American Religion (2022) the first Mormon Senator
    • Ritchie, Donald A. Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents. (Harvard UP, 1991).
    • Ritchie, Donald A. The Congress of the United States: A Student Companion (Oxford UP, 2001).
    • Ritchie, Donald A. Reporting from Washington: The History of the Washington Press Corps (Oxford UP, 2005).
    • Rothman, David J. Politics and power; the United States Senate, 1869-1901 (Harvard UP, 1966) richly detailed scholarly history online
    • Swift, Elaine K. The Making of an American Senate: Reconstitutive Change in Congress, 1787–1841. U. of Michigan Press, 1996.
    • Wirls, Daniel and Wirls, Stephen. The Invention of the United States Senate (Johns Hopkins UP, 2004) excerpt
    • Zelizer, Julian E. On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948–2000 (2006) online

    Biographical

    • American National Biography (1999) 24 volumes plus 2 supplements; contains scholarly biographies of all politicians no longer alive; online
    • Baker, Richard A.. and Roger H. Davidson, eds. First Among Equals: Outstanding Senate Leaders of the Twentieth Century (1992).
    • Ashby, LeRoy and Gramer, Rod. Fighting the Odds: The Life of Senator Frank Church. (Washington State U. Press, 1994). Chair of Foreign Relations in the 1970s; Democrat of Idaho
    • Barnard, Harry. Independent Man: The Life of Senator James Couzens (Wayne State University Press, 2002), of Michigan.
    • Becnel, Thomas A. Senator Allen Ellender of Louisiana: A Biography. (Louisiana State U. Press, 1995). Democrat online
    • Caro, Robert A. Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Vol. 3 (Vintage, 2009).
    • Farrell, John A. Ted Kennedy: A Life (2022) Democrat of Massachusetts
    • Fite, Gilbert. Richard B. Russell, Jr., Senator from Georgia (1991) powerful Democrat; online
    • Garraty, John A. Henry Cabot Lodge, a biography (1953), Republican of Massachusetts online
    • Goldberg, Robert Alan. Barry Goldwater (1995), Rep;ublican of Arizona
    • Herman, Arthur. Joseph McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of America's Most Hated Senator (Simon and Schuster, 2000), Republican of Wisconsin.
    • Houston, G. David. "A Negro Senator." Journal of Negro History 7.3 (1922): 243-256. online; Blanche Bruce Republican of Mississippi
    • Johnson, Claudius O. Borah of Idaho (1936) online, Republican
    • Johnson, Marc C. Political Hell-Raiser: The Life and Times of Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana (University of Oklahoma Press, 2019); Democrat
    • Keith, Caroline H. For Hell and a Brown Mule: The Biography of Senator Millard E. Tydings (Madison Books, 1991), Democrat of Maryland
    • Laymon, Sherry. Fearless: John L McClellan, United States Senator (2022), Democrat of Arkansas
    • Lower, Richard Coke. A Bloc of One: The Political Career of Hiram W. Johnson (Stanford University Press, 1993); Republican of California.
    • McFarland, Ernest W. The Ernest W. McFarland Papers: The United States Senate Years, 1940–1952. (Prescott, Ariz.: Sharlot Hall Museum, 1995). Democratic majority leader 1950–1952; of Arizona
    • Mann, Robert. The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell and the Struggle for Civil Rights. (Harcourt Brace, 1996).
    • Miller, G. Wayne. An Uncommon Man: The Life & Times of Senator Claiborne Pell (UPNE, 2011) Democrat of Rhode Island.
    • Norris, George W. Fighting Liberal: The Autobiography of George W. Norris (U of Nebraska Press, 1992) Republican of Nebraska. online
      • Fellman, David. "The Liberalism of Senator Norris." American Political Science Review 40.1 (1946): 27-51. online
    • Palermo, Joseph A. In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (Columbia UP, 2002) Democrat of New York.
    • Patterson, James T. Mr. Republican; a biography of Robert A. Taft (1972) online
    • Price, Christopher. "Peace and Progress: The Life and Political Contributions of Senator Jennings Randolph." West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies 14.2 (2020): 1-27. Democrat of West Virginia
    • O'Brien, Michael. Philip Hart: The Conscience of the Senate. (Michigan State U. Press 1995) Democrat of Michigan.
    • Rice, Ross R. Carl Hayden: Builder of the American West (U. Press of America, 1993). Chair of Appropriations in the 1960s and 1970s; Democrat of Arizona.
    • Stephenson, Nathaniel W. Nelson W. Aldrich: A Leader in American Politics (1930), powerful Republican from Rhode Island
    • Valeo, Frank. Mike Mansfield, Majority Leader: A Different Kind of Senate, 1961–1976 (Sharpe, 1999). Senate majority leader. Democrat Of Montana.
    • Weller, Cecil Edward, Jr. Joe T. Robinson: Always a Loyal Democrat. U. of Arkansas Press, 1998. Majority leader in the 1930s; of Arkansas.
    • Winston, Mitch. Senator Daniel Inouye: WW II Hero and America Finest Senator (2022), Democrat of Hawaii

    Official Senate histories (and reviews)

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