Book excerpt: A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents 1789-1897 is a multi-volume set containing the messages, speeches, and public papers of the presidents of the United States from George Washington to William McKinley. The set was first published in 1896 by James D. Richardson, a congressman from Tennessee. This collection is an invaluable resource for students of American history and politics. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.