40th United States Congress
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
- March 30, 1867: Alaska Purchase
- February 24, 1868: Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
- May 16, 1868: President Johnson acquitted
- May 26, 1868: President Johnson acquitted again
- November 3, 1868: 1868 presidential election: Ulysses S. Grant defeated Horatio Seymour
- December 25, 1868: President Johnson granted unconditional pardons to all Civil War rebels
- January 20, 1869: Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the first woman to testify before Congress
Major legislation
- Three Military Reconstruction Acts, continued:
- * March 23, 1867, ch. 6,
- * July 19, 1867, ch. 30,
- * March 11, 1868, ch. 25,
- July 27, 1868: Expatriation Act of 1868, ch. 249,
Constitutional amendments
- July 10, 1868: Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution declared ratified
- February 26, 1869: Approved an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude", and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
- * Amendment was later ratified on February 3, 1870, becoming the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Treaty
- April 29, 1868: Treaty of Fort Laramie, , signed
- February 16, 1869: Treaty of Fort Laramie ratified
Territories organized
- July 25, 1868: Wyoming Territory organized, Sess. 2, ch. 135,
Party summary
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
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Vacant
- President pro tempore: Benjamin Wade
- Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James Rood Doolittle
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Schuyler Colfax, until March 3, 1869
- * Theodore M. Pomeroy, elected March 3, 1869. Served for 1 day.
Members
Senate
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.[List of [United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]
Arkansas">List of United States senators from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States senators from California">California
Connecticut">List of United States senators from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia
Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States senators from Iowa">Iowa
Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas
Kentucky">List of United States senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States senators from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan
Minnesota">List of United States senators from Minnesota">Minnesota
Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States senators from Missouri">Missouri
Nebraska">List of United States senators from Nebraska">Nebraska
Nevada">List of United States senators from Nevada">Nevada
New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio
Oregon">List of United States senators from Oregon">Oregon
Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States senators from Texas">Texas
Vermont">List of United States senators from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia
West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.[List of [United States representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]
Arkansas">List of United States representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States representatives from California">California
Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia
Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States representatives from Iowa">Iowa
Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas
Kentucky">List of United States representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States representatives from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan
Minnesota">List of United States representatives from Minnesota">Minnesota
Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States representatives from Missouri">Missouri
Nebraska">List of United States representatives from Nebraska">Nebraska
Nevada">List of United States representatives from Nevada">Nevada
New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
Ohio">List of United States representatives from Ohio">Ohio
Oregon">List of United States representatives from Oregon">Oregon
Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
Tennessee">List of United States representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States representatives from Texas">Texas
Vermont">List of United States representatives from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia
West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States representatives from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
Non-voting members
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Senate
- Replacements: 3
- * Democratic: 0 seat net loss
- * Republican: 0 seat net gain
- Deaths: 1
- Resignations: 2
- Interim appointments: 1
- Seats from newly re-admitted states: 12
- '''Total seats with changes: 16'''