The first codification of United States Statutes at Large occurred in which period?

The first codification of United States Statutes at Large occurred in which period?

• A. It occurred in the mid-1870s
• B. It occurred in 1925
• C. It occurred in 1800
• D. It never occurred

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is when federal laws were first gathered into a single organized code rather than listed chronologically. The first formal codification of the general and permanent statutes from the Statutes at Large was the Revised Statutes of the United States, which was prepared in the 1870s and published around 1874–1875. This was the initial move from a purely chronological compilation to a consolidated, subject-organized code. Later developments led to the United States Code in the 20th century, but the first codification occurred in the mid-1870s. So, the mid-1870s is the correct period. The other options don’t fit because the codification happened earlier than 1800, well before 1925, and certainly occurred rather than never occurring.

The idea being tested is when federal laws were first gathered into a single organized code rather than listed chronologically. The first formal codification of the general and permanent statutes from the Statutes at Large was the Revised Statutes of the United States, which was prepared in the 1870s and published around 1874–1875. This was the initial move from a purely chronological compilation to a consolidated, subject-organized code. Later developments led to the United States Code in the 20th century, but the first codification occurred in the mid-1870s. So, the mid-1870s is the correct period. The other options don’t fit because the codification happened earlier than 1800, well before 1925, and certainly occurred rather than never occurring.