Surpassed perhaps only by the division's rich presidential holdings are its more than nine hundred collections relating to
members of Congress. Most of these congressional collections are identified in John J. McDonough's Members of Congress: A Checklist of Their Papers in the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (Washington: Library of Congress, 1980; Z1236.U613 1980). Ranging in time from the first Continental Congress in 1774 to
the 105th Congress in 1998, they cover the entire breadth of United States history.
Women appear throughout these collections as:
members of Congress
spouses and children of members
constituents, lobbyists, and members of special interest groups
focus of legislation aimed to restrict, protect, enhance, or define women's status in society