39th United States Congress
The 39th 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, 1865, to March 4, 1867, during Abraham Lincoln's final month as president, and the first two years of the administration of his successor, Andrew Johnson.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1860 United States census. Both chambers had a Republican majority.Major events
- March 4, 1865: Second inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln.
- April 9, 1865: Surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the American Civil War
- April 15, 1865: Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson became President of the United States
- December 11, 1865: Creation of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Banking and Commerce Committee, reducing the tasks of the House Ways and Means Committee
- January, 1866: The second and current United States Capitol dome completed after 11 years of work.
- July 24, 1866: Tennessee became the first U.S. state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.
- November 5, 1866: United States House of Representatives elections, 1866
- January 8, 1867: African American men are granted the right to vote in the District of Columbia
Major legislation
- April 9, 1866: Civil Rights Act of 1866, Sess. 1, ch. 31,
- July 16, 1866: Freedmen's Bureau Bill, Sess. 1, ch. 200,
- July 23, 1866: Judicial Circuits Act, Sess. 1, ch. 210,, reduced the number of United States circuit courts to nine and the number of Supreme Court justices to seven
- July 23, 1866: District of Columbia Public Schools Act, Sess. 1, ch. 217,
- July 25, 1866: An Act to revive the grade of General in the United States Army, Sess. 1, ch. 232,, ; Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant became the first to have this rank.
- July 28, 1866: Metric Act of 1866, Sess. 1, ch. 301,, legalized the use of the metric system for weights and measures in the United States.
- July 28, 1866: Washington City Colored Schools Lots Donation Act, Sess. 1, ch. 308,
- March 2, 1867: Reconstruction Act, ch. 153, established five military districts, each headed by a general, in ten states of the former Confederate South, and stipulates conditions for re-admission of these States into the Union.
- March 2, 1867: Tenure of Office Act, ch. 154, required the president to obtain the Senate's advice and consent to suspend or dismiss certain federal public officials. Violation of this act will lead to the impeachment of Andrew Johnson by the next Congress in 1868.
Constitutional amendments
- December 18, 1865: Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution declared ratified
- June 13, 1866: Approved an amendment to the Constitution addressing citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
- * Amendment was later ratified on July 9, 1868, becoming the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
States admitted
- July 24, 1866: Tennessee readmitted to representation.
- March 1, 1867: Nebraska admitted as the 37th state, sess. 2, ch. 36,
Party summary
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.Senate
During this Congress, two seats were added for the new state of Nebraska.House of Representatives
During this Congress, one seat was added for the new state of Nebraska.Leadership
Senate
- President: Andrew Johnson, until April 15, 1865; vacant thereafter.
- President pro tempore: Lafayette S. Foster, until March 2, 1867
- * Benjamin F. Wade, elected March 2, 1867
- Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Schuyler Colfax
- Republican Conference Chairman: Justin S. Morrill
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.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 began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1868; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1870; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1866.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.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