The History of the Speaker of the House
We the People
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The Early Speakers of the House of Representatives
When Congress first convenes in 1789, there's still this idea that maybe the United States won't develop a political party system. A big part of what these early speakers are trying to think about is how to institutionalize legislative power. Until about 1810, the committees didn't have the jurisdiction to report out bills unless they were specifically given that on a sort of ad hoc basis.
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