New York State Legislature Correspondence and Legislative Action Files

Chronological.

This series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence of legislators with state officials, prominent individuals, officials of other states, and federal officials, including letters from John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and John Quincy Adams. Records of legislative action include: annual and special messages of governors of New York to the legislature; legislative resolutions; proposed legislation; and reports, petitions, and other documents forwarded to the legislature by the governor.

The records concern the following: amendments to the U.S. Constitution proposed by legislatures of other states (many printed); filling of vacancies of official positions; defending the state's frontiers; occurrence of and measures taken to prevent the spread of epidemics; relations with Indians, including printed treaties; military stores, fortifications, and organization of the militia; survey, sale, and mapping of state lands; land rights, claims, and disputes; perceived success of the state and federal government and prosperity of the country; establishment and growth of state prison system; state boundary lines; the court system, criminal law, and stays of execution for persons convicted of capital crimes; education and the establishment of a system of common school; tensions with Great Britain leading to the U.S. declaration of war in 1812, and progress of the war; commendations of officers for war service; economy; taxes; agriculture; commerce; roads and canals; relief of the poor and other dependents; and revision of laws.

Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.

Letter from Thomas Jefferson to the New York State Legislature, 1809 has been digitized and is available in State Archives Digital Collections.

Three alphabetical name and subject indexes (for volumes 32, 33, and 34) are available.

In the 1830s the Secretary of State's office bound these records as Volumes 32, 33, and 34 of "Assembly Papers." Volume 32 (except for the index) was destroyed in the 1911 State Capitol fire and the remaining records were disbound.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.