One of the first acts of the new Congress was to establish a Federal court system through the Judiciary Act signed by President Washington on September 24, 1789. The founders of the new nation believed that the establishment of a national judiciary was one of their most important tasks. Yet Article III of the Constitution of the United States, the provision that deals with the judiciary branch of government, is markedly smaller than Articles I and II, which created the legislative and executive branches. The generality of Article III of the Constitution raised questions that Congress had to address in the Judiciary Act of 1789. With minor adjustments, it is the same system we have today.
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Today’s Document from the National Archives