Book 38
1880-1895
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On December 5, 1831, 12-year-old Isaac Bassett was selected by Senator Daniel Webster as a page in the U.S. Senate. In 1838 Bassett was promoted to messenger, and in 1861 he was administered the oath as assistant doorkeeper to the Senate, a post he held until his death in 1895.
Having a position on the floor of the Senate allowed Bassett to witness the great debates leading up to the U.S. Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age. In preparation for writing a memoir of his experience working for the Senate, Bassett saved notes, anecdotes, newspaper clippings and personal observations. Although he never completed his memoir, his papers were preserved and eventually donated to the U.S. Senate. The Senate transferred them to the Center for Legislative Archives.
This document was identified by teachers in our 2015 Primarily Teaching online workshop.
Having a position on the floor of the Senate allowed Bassett to witness the great debates leading up to the U.S. Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age. In preparation for writing a memoir of his experience working for the Senate, Bassett saved notes, anecdotes, newspaper clippings and personal observations. Although he never completed his memoir, his papers were preserved and eventually donated to the U.S. Senate. The Senate transferred them to the Center for Legislative Archives.
This document was identified by teachers in our 2015 Primarily Teaching online workshop.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 5423166
Full Citation: Book 38; 1880-1895; Isaac Bassett's Papers, ca. 1880 - ca. 1895; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/book-38, April 20, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
