Secondary sourceDocument2 March 1831
US Statutes at Large, Vol. 4, Chapter 70: Appropriation for Jay Bust
2 March 1831
A federal law from 1831 that funded the creation of a sculpted bust of John Jay for the Supreme Court room.
This law funded a sculpted bust of Jay, showing how Congress chose to commemorate him after his death.
About this source
What it is
This is a section of the U.S. Statutes at Large, an official record of laws passed by Congress. This particular law, dated March 2, 1831, included an appropriation of federal money to pay sculptor John Frazee to create a bust of John Jay for the Supreme Court room.
Why it matters
This document shows how the U.S. government chose to honor Jay's legacy years after his death by commissioning a sculpture of him. It reveals that by the 1830s, Jay was remembered as significant enough to deserve a place among busts memorializing Chief Justices in the nation's highest court.
Look closer
- Why might Congress have decided to spend public money on a bust of Jay rather than another memorial?
- What does this appropriation tell us about how early Americans viewed their first Chief Justice?
- What is missing from this legal document that a biography or letter might tell us about Jay?
This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Jay on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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