Discover the rich heritage of “the People’s House” and its central role in U.S. history since 1789. Explore its unique story and the men and women who have shaped it. Browse its collections. Access historical data and other research resources.
Early in the afternoon on December 8, 1941, Irving Swanson sat at the rostrum of the House and stared into a packed chamber. A few feet away, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war against Japan following its attack on Pearl Harbor the day before. Swanson, the reading clerk, recorded the vote approving military action. Watch as he describes the atmosphere in the chamber, the decision by Montana Representative Jeannette Rankin to oppose the war, and his experience reading the declarations of war against Germany and Italy.
This site is a collaborative project between the Office of the Historian and the Clerk of the House's Office of Art and Archives. The offices preserve, collect, and interpret the heritage of the U.S. House, serving as the institution’s memory and a resource for Members, staff, and the general public.
