Introduction to Statutes at Large

These volumes contain public and private laws of the Province and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through 1809. They hold the earliest provisions for liberty of conscience and other principles of a free society, setting forth significant archival documents and enactments, with references to original sources, prior provisions and review by British Crown and Parliament agencies.

Publication

An electronic-only version of Volume 1 of the Statutes at Large was certified for publication March 1, 2001 by the Legislative Reference Bureau. Volumes 2 through 18 were published between 1896 and 1915. Volumes 19 and 20, though authorized by statute, were not published.

Reading the Statutes at Large

In many instances, a page of the Statutes at Large holds more than one act. Please view the entire page to find the act you are seeking.

Name and numbering conventions

Historical and scholarly references to Statutes at Large volumes make use of both Roman numerals and Arabic numbers. This site uses Arabic numbers to refer to volumes of the Statutes at Large. Chapters of the Statutes at Large are referred to as "acts" and identified by Arabic numbers.

Method of citation

A citation to the Statutes at Large is made as follows: act of November 18, 1782 (11 St.L.5, Ch.996).