The Peace Corps is an independent United States federal agency . The Peace Corps was started by Executive Order 10924 on March 1 , 1961 , and allowed by Congress on September 22 , 1961 , with passage of the Peace Corps Act ( Public Law 87-293 ) . The first public law establishing Peace Corps in the US Code was The Peace Corps Act passed by the 87th Congress and signed into law on September 22 , 1961 .