The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Famed essayist and journalist Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900) was the editor of the Hartford, Connecticut, Courant and a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine. Our Italy (1891) is Warner's account of a trip he made to Southern California in 1890. He describes conditions after the collapse of the 1886-1887 real estate boom and dubs the state south of the Sierra Madres "our Italy." He focuses on the region's economic future: its promise as a healthy, productive residence, agricultural developments (particularly the citrus industry), climate and industry. He devotes less attention to beauty spots and tourist attractions, but he does discuss the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Monterey.