40th United States Congress

40th United States Congress
39th ←
→ 41st

March 4, 1867 – March 4, 1869
Members68 senators
226 representatives
8 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
Senate PresidentVacant[a]
House majorityRepublican
House SpeakerSchuyler Colfax (R)
Theodore M. Pomeroy (R)
Sessions
Special[b]: April 1, 1867 – April 20, 1867
1st: March 4, 1867 – December 1, 1867
2nd: December 2, 1867 – November 10, 1868
3rd: December 7, 1868 – March 4, 1869

The 40th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867, to March 4, 1869, during the third and fourth years of Andrew Johnson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1860 United States census. Both chambers had a Republican majority. In the Senate, the Republicans had the largest majority a party has ever held.

This Congress was held during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, and South Carolina were readmitted to representation in both the Senate and the House. Georgia was readmitted with representation in the House only. The Republican majority passed an amendment that became the 15th Amendment for voting rights.

Major events

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Major legislation

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Constitutional amendments

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Treaty

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Territories organized

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Party summary

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The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

During this Congress, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, and South Carolina were readmitted to representation in both the Senate and the House. Georgia was readmitted with representation in the House only.

Senate

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Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 8 41 5[c] 54 20
Begin 8 45 0 53 21
End 9 57 668
Final voting share 13.6% 86.4% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 9 57 0 66 8

House of Representatives

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Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Republican
(R)
Independent
Republican

(IR)
Conservative
Republican

(CR)
Conservative
(C)
Other
End of previous congress 41 134 1 0 0 17[d] 193 49
Begin 45 143 1 1 1 0 191 52
End 46 172 2 2 22320
Final voting share 20.6% 77.1% 0.9% 0.4% 0.9% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 65 150 0 0 0 0 215 28

Leadership

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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Members

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This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

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Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1868 or 1869; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1870 or 1871; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1872 or 1873.

House of Representatives

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The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

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The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

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  • Replacements: 3
  • Deaths: 1
  • Resignations: 2
  • Interim appointments: 1
  • Seats from newly re-admitted states: 12
  • Total seats with changes: 16
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[e]
Delaware (1) George R. Riddle (D) Died March 29, 1867.
Successor appointed April 5, 1867.
Appointee was subsequently elected January 19, 1869, to finish the term.[3]
James A. Bayard Jr. (D) April 5, 1867
Kentucky (2) James Guthrie (D) Resigned February 7, 1868, because of failing health.
Successor elected February 19, 1868.
Thomas C. McCreery (D) February 19, 1868
Maryland (3) Vacant Filled vacancy caused by action of the Senate in declining to permit Philip F. Thomas to qualify.
Successor elected March 7, 1868.
George Vickers (D) March 7, 1868
Florida (1) Vacant Florida re-admitted to the Union Adonijah Welch (R) June 17, 1868
Arkansas (2) Vacant Arkansas re-admitted to the Union Alexander McDonald (R) June 22, 1868
Arkansas (3) Benjamin F. Rice (R) June 23, 1868
Florida (3) Vacant Florida re-admitted to the Union Thomas W. Osborn (R) June 25, 1868
Louisiana (2) Vacant Louisiana re-admitted to the Union John S. Harris (R) July 8, 1868
Louisiana (3) William P. Kellogg (R) July 9, 1868
Alabama (2) Vacant Alabama re-admitted to the Union Willard Warner (R) July 13, 1868
Alabama (3) George E. Spencer (R)
Maryland (1) Reverdy Johnson (D) Resigned July 10, 1868, to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Successor appointed July 13, 1868.
William P. Whyte (D)
North Carolina (2) Vacant North Carolina re-admitted to the Union Joseph C. Abbott (R) July 14, 1868
North Carolina (3) John Pool (R)
South Carolina (2) Vacant South Carolina re-admitted to the Union Thomas J. Robertson (R) July 15, 1868
South Carolina (3) Frederick A. Sawyer (R) July 16, 1868

House of Representatives

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House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[e]
New Mexico Territory At-large Vacant Vacancy in term Charles P. Clever (D) September 2, 1867
Arkansas 1st Vacant Arkansas re-admitted into the Union Logan H. Roots (R) June 22, 1868
Arkansas 2nd James M. Hinds (R)
Arkansas 3rd Thomas Boles (R)
Kentucky 9th Vacant John D. Young presented credentials but failed to qualify. Election was contested by McKee. Samuel McKee (R) June 22, 1868
Florida At-large Vacant Florida re-admitted into the Union Charles M. Hamilton (R) July 1, 1868
North Carolina 4th Vacant North Carolina re-admitted into the Union John T. Deweese (R) July 6, 1868
North Carolina 7th Alexander H. Jones (R)
North Carolina 3rd Oliver H. Dockery (R) July 13, 1868
North Carolina 6th Nathaniel Boyden (C)
North Carolina 1st John R. French (R) July 15, 1868
Louisiana 1st Vacant Louisiana re-admitted into the Union J. Hale Sypher (R) July 18, 1868
Louisiana 2nd James Mann (D)
Louisiana 3rd Joseph P. Newsham (R)
Louisiana 4th Michel Vidal (R)
Louisiana 5th W. Jasper Blackburn (R)
South Carolina 1st Vacant South Carolina re-admitted into the Union Benjamin F. Whittemore (R) July 18, 1868
South Carolina 2nd Christopher C. Bowen (R)
South Carolina 4th James H. Goss (R)
North Carolina 5th Vacant North Carolina re-admitted into the Union Israel G. Lash (R) July 20, 1868
Alabama 2nd Vacant Alabama re-admitted into the Union Charles W. Buckley (R) July 21, 1868
Alabama 3rd Benjamin W. Norris (R)
Alabama 4th Charles W. Pierce (R)
Alabama 5th John B. Callis (R)
Alabama 6th Thomas Haughey (R)
Alabama 1st Francis W. Kellogg (R) July 22, 1868
Georgia 1st Vacant Georgia re-admitted into the Union Joseph W. Clift (R) July 25, 1868
Georgia 2nd Nelson Tift (D)
Georgia 3rd William P. Edwards (R)
Georgia 4th Samuel F. Gove (R)
Georgia 5th Charles H. Prince (R)
Georgia 7th Pierce M. B. Young (D)
North Carolina 2nd Vacant North Carolina re-admitted into the Union David Heaton (R) July 25, 1868
South Carolina 1st Vacant South Carolina re-admitted into the Union Manuel S. Corley (R) July 25, 1868
New York 21st Roscoe Conkling (R) Resigned March 4, 1867, after being elected to the US Senate Alexander H. Bailey (R) November 30, 1867
Kentucky 3rd Elijah Hise (D) Died May 8, 1867 Jacob Golladay (D) December 5, 1867
Pennsylvania 12th Charles Denison (D) Died June 27, 1867 George W. Woodward (D) November 21, 1867
Ohio 2nd Rutherford B. Hayes (R) Resigned July 20, 1867, after being nominated Governor of Ohio Samuel F. Cary (IR) November 21, 1867
Missouri 3rd Thomas E. Noell (D) Died October 3, 1867 James R. McCormick (D) December 17, 1867
Ohio 8th Cornelius S. Hamilton (R) Killed by insane son December 22, 1867 John Beatty (R) February 5, 1868
Ohio 13th George W. Morgan (D) Lost contested election June 3, 1868 Columbus Delano (R) June 3, 1868
Missouri 5th Joseph W. McClurg (R) Resigned in July 1868 John H. Stover (R) December 7, 1868
Pennsylvania 9th Thaddeus Stevens (R) Died August 11, 1868 Oliver J. Dickey (R) December 7, 1868
Pennsylvania 20th Darwin A. Finney (R) Died August 25, 1868 S. Newton Pettis (R) December 7, 1868
Louisiana 2nd James Mann (D) Died August 26, 1868 Vacant Not filled this term
Arkansas 2nd James M. Hinds (R) Assassinated October 22, 1868 James T. Elliott (R) January 13, 1869
New Mexico Territory At-large Charles P. Clever (D) Lost contested election February 20, 1869 J. Francisco Chaves (R) February 20, 1869

Committees

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Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

Senate

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House of Representatives

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Joint committees

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Caucuses

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Employees

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ President pro tempore Benjamin Wade acted his duties as the President of the Senate.
  2. ^ Special session of the Senate.
  3. ^ Unionist & Unconditional Unionist
  4. ^ Unionist & Unconditional Unionist
  5. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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  1. ^ a b Huckabee, David C. (September 30, 1997). "Ratification of Amendments to the U.S. Constitution" (PDF). Congressional Research Service reports. Washington D.C.: Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2004.
  2. ^ State of Wyoming web site, "CHRONOLOGY-Some Events in Wyoming History"
  3. ^ Byrd & Wolff, page 90
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