U.S. Department of the Treasury

The Treasury has an extensive history over the centuries. There are two ways to learn more about the department: resources about the Treasury itself and its publications as primary sources. Check out the featured resources below.

One way to learn more about the Treasury is its past activities. Below are some selected resources.

• Alexander Hamilton Papers
  • Search a digitized collection of 12,000 items of the First Secretary of the Treasurer (c.1757-1804).
• Freedman's Bank Building
  • Learn about the history of the building and the program to help "African Americans become financially stable" from 1865 to 1874.
• History of BEP
  • Check out the timeline about the history of BEP.
• History of TTB
  • Watch a 5-minute video from 2015 that summarizes the history of TTB.
• Prior Secretaries
  • Check out past Secretaries and their portraits, from Alexander Hamilton to Janet Yellen.
• "Right on the Button"
  • View an 11-minute IRS video from c.1960-1970 about how it automates data processing.
• Treasurers of the United States
  • See the list of past and current Treasurers.
• The Treasury Building
  • Explore the histories and rooms of the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.

The Treasury has a rich history since its establishment in 1789. One reason is its publications have recorded contemporary financial transactions, news, statistics, and other related topics. Over time, these publications provide a rich history of longitudinal data. The following are some featured examples from FRASER and GovInfo.

• Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances (1789-1980)
  • Dive into these reports for the U.S. Congress that cover a range of financial topics, including bank loans, income tax, silver dollars, and more.
• Press Releases of the United States Department of the Treasury (1916-2025)
  • Discover publicity information and press releases from the Treasury, which cover a variety of financial subjects.
• Treasury Reporting Rates of Exchange (1956-2005)
  • See historic exchanges rates from 1956 to 2005 between different foreign currencies to one U.S. Dollar.

Photograph, "Transfer of money from the Treasurer's Vaults in Bureau en route to the Treasury building" in 1917 (Image source: NAID: 158883748)