41st United States Congress

The Forty-first 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, 1869 to March 4, 1871, during the first two years of Ulysses Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

1 Major events
2 Major legislation
3 Constitutional amendment
4 States readmitted
5 Party summary
- 5.1 Senate
- 5.2 House of Representatives
6 Leadership
- 6.1 Senate
- 6.2 House of Representatives
7 Members
- 7.1 Senate
- 7.2 House of Representatives
8 Changes in membership
- 8.1 Senate
- 8.2 House of Representatives
9 Employees
- 9.1 Senate
- 9.2 House of Representatives
10 References
11 External links

Major events

Main articles: 1869 in the United States, 1870 in the United States, and 1871 in the United States

March 4, 1869: Ulysses Grant became President of the United States
May 10, 1869: golden spike marked the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in Promontory, Utah
December 10, 1869: Wyoming Territory gave women the right to vote, one of the first such laws in the world
February 12, 1870: Utah Territory gave women the right to vote
February 25, 1870: Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American ever to sit in the U.S. Congress

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation#41st United States Congress

March 18, 1869: Public Credit Act of 1869, Sess. 1, ch. 1, 16 Stat. 1
May 31, 1870: Force Act of 1870, Sess. 2, ch. 114, 16 Stat. 140
June 22, 1870: An Act to establish the Department of Justice, Sess. 2, ch. 150, 16 Stat. 162
July 12, 1870: Currency Act of 1870, Sess. 2, ch. 252, 16 Stat. 251
July 14, 1870: Funding Act of 1870, Sess. 2, ch. 256, 16 Stat. 272

Constitutional amendment

February 3, 1870: Fifteenth Amendment ratified

States readmitted

January 26, 1870: Virginia rejoined the Union
February 23: Mississippi rejoined the Union
March 30, 1870: Texas rejoined the Union
July 15, 1870: Georgia rejoined the Union, the last former Confederate state to be readmitted

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.

During this Congress, Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia were readmitted to representation.

Senate

	Party (Shading shows control)			Total	Vacant

	Democratic (D)	Republican (R)	Other
End of the previous congress	9	55	0	64	10

Begin	9	57	0	66	8
End	12	62	0	74	0
Final voting share	16.2%	83.8%	0.0%

Beginning of the next congress	16	55	(Liberal Republican) 1	72	2

House of Representatives

	Party (Shading shows control)				Total	Vacant

	Democratic (D)	Republican (R)	Conservative (C)	Other
End of the previous congress	45	170	0	(Independent Republican, Conservative Republican, & Conservative) 5	220	23

Begin	65	150	0	0	215	28
End	67	169	5	0	241	1
Final voting share	27.8%	70.1%	2.1%	0.0%

Beginning of the next congress	93	144	0	(Liberal Republican & Independent Republican) 2	239	2

Leadership

Senate

President (R): Schuyler Colfax
President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony (R)

House of Representatives

Speaker: James G. Blaine (R)

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 this Congress, requiring reelection in 1874; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1870; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1872.

Georgia

3. Joshua Hill (R), from February 1, 1871
2. Homer V. M. Miller (D), from February 24, 1871

Illinois

3. Lyman Trumbull (R)
2. Richard Yates (R)

Indiana

3. Oliver H. P. T. Morton (R)
1. Daniel D. Pratt (R)

Iowa

2. James W. Grimes (R), until December 6, 1869
- James B. Howell (R), from January 18, 1870
3. James Harlan (R)

Kansas

3. Samuel C. Pomeroy (R)
2. Edmund G. Ross (R)

Kentucky

3. Garrett Davis (D)
2. Thomas C. McCreery (D)

Louisiana

2. John S. Harris (R)
3. William Pitt Kellogg (R)

Maine

2. William Pitt Fessenden (R), until September 8, 1869
- Lot M. Morrill (R), from October 30, 1869
1. Hannibal Hamlin (R)

Maryland

3. George Vickers (D)
1. William T. Hamilton (D)

Massachusetts

1. Charles Sumner (R)
2. Henry Wilson (R)

Michigan

1. Zachariah Chandler (R)
2. Jacob M. Howard (R)

Minnesota

1. Alexander Ramsey (R)
2. Daniel S. Norton (R), until July 13, 1870
- William Windom (R), July 15, 1870 – January 22, 1871
- Ozora P. Stearns (R), from January 22, 1871

Mississippi

2. Hiram R. Revels (R), from February 23, 1870
1. Adelbert Ames (R), from February 23, 1870

Missouri

3. Charles D. Drake (R), until December 19, 1870
- Daniel T. Jewett (R), December 19, 1870 – January 20, 1871
- Francis P. Blair, Jr. (D), from January 20, 1871
1. Carl Schurz (R)

Nebraska

2. John M. Thayer (R)
1. Thomas Tipton (R)

Nevada

1. William M. Stewart (R)
3. James W. Nye (R)

New Hampshire

2. Aaron H. Cragin (R)
3. James W. Patterson (R)

New Jersey

2. Alexander G. Cattell (R)
1. John P. Stockton (D)

New York

3. Roscoe Conkling (R)
1. Reuben Fenton (R)

North Carolina

2. Joseph C. Abbott (R)
3. John Pool (R)

Ohio

3. John Sherman (R)
1. Allen G. Thurman (D)

Oregon

2. George H. Williams (R)
3. Henry W. Corbett (R)

Pennsylvania

3. Simon Cameron (R)
1. John Scott (R)

Rhode Island

2. Henry B. Anthony (R)
1. William Sprague (R)

South Carolina

2. Thomas J. Robertson (R)
3. Frederick A. Sawyer (R)

Tennessee

2. Joseph S. Fowler (R)
1. William G. Brownlow (R)

Texas

2. Morgan C. Hamilton (R), from March 31, 1870
1. James W. Flanagan (R), from March 30, 1870

Vermont

1. George F. Edmunds (R)
3. Justin S. Morrill (R)

Virginia

2. John W. Johnston (D), from January 26, 1870
1. John F. Lewis (R), from January 26, 1870

West Virginia

2. Waitman T. Willey (R)
1. Arthur I. Boreman (R)

Wisconsin

3. Timothy O. Howe (R)
1. Matthew H. Carpenter (R)

House of Representatives

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

At-large. Benjamin T. Biggs (D)

Florida

At-large. Charles M. Hamilton (R)

Georgia

1. William W. Paine (D), from December 22, 1870
2. Richard H. Whiteley (R), from December 22, 1870
3. Marion Bethune (R), from December 22, 1870
4. Jefferson F. Long (R), from December 22, 1870
5. Stephen A. Corker (D), from December 22, 1870
6. William P. Price (D), from December 22, 1870
7. Pierce M. B. Young (D), from December 22, 1870

Illinois

1. Norman B. Judd (R)
2. John F. Farnsworth (R)
3. Elihu B. Washburne (R), until March 6, 1869
- Horatio C. Burchard (R), from December 6, 1869
4. John B. Hawley (R)
5. Ebon C. Ingersoll (R)
6. Burton C. Cook (R)
7. Jesse H. Moore (R)
8. Shelby M. Cullom (R)
9. Thompson W. McNeely (D)
10. Albert G. Burr (D)
11. Samuel S. Marshall (D)
12. John B. Hay (R)
13. John M. Crebs (D)
At-large. John A. Logan (R), until March 3, 1871

Indiana

Iowa

1. George W. McCrary (R)
2. William Smyth (R), until September 30, 1870
- William P. Wolf (R), from December 6, 1870
3. William B. Allison (R)
4. William Loughridge (R)
5. Francis W. Palmer (R)
6. Charles Pomeroy (R)

Kansas

At-large. Sidney Clarke (R)

Kentucky

1. Lawrence S. Trimble (D)
2. William N. Sweeney (D)
3. Jacob Golladay (D), until February 28, 1870
- Joseph H. Lewis (D), from May 10, 1870
4. J. Proctor Knott (D)
5. Boyd Winchester (D)
6. Thomas L. Jones (D)
7. James B. Beck (D)
8. George M. Adams (D)
9. John M. Rice (D)

Louisiana

1. J. Hale Sypher (R), from November 7, 1870
2. Lionel A. Sheldon (R)
3. Chester B. Darrall (R)
4. Joseph P. Newsham (R), from May 23, 1870
5. Frank Morey (R)

1. James Buffinton (R)
2. Oakes Ames (R)
3. Ginery Twichell (R)
4. Samuel Hooper (R)
5. Benjamin F. Butler (R)
6. Nathaniel P. Banks (R)
7. George S. Boutwell (R), until March 12, 1869
- George M. Brooks (R), from November 2, 1869
8. George F. Hoar (R)
9. William B. Washburn (R)
10. Henry L. Dawes (R)

Michigan

1. Fernando C. Beaman (R)
2. William L. Stoughton (R)
3. Austin Blair (R)
4. Thomas W. Ferry (R), until March 3, 1871
5. Omar D. Conger (R)
6. Randolph Strickland (R)

Minnesota

1. Morton S. Wilkinson (R)
2. Eugene M. Wilson (D)

Mississippi

1. George E. Harris (R), from February 23, 1870
2. Joseph L. Morphis (R), from February 23, 1870
3. Henry W. Barry (R), from February 23, 1870
4. George C. McKee (R)
5. Legrand W. Perce (R), from February 23, 1870

Missouri

Nebraska

At-large. John Taffe (R)

Nevada

At-large. Thomas Fitch (R)

1. Henry A. Reeves (D)
2. John G. Schumaker (D)
3. Henry W. Slocum (D)
4. John Fox (D)
5. John Morrissey (D)
6. Samuel S. Cox (D)
7. Hervey C. Calkin (D)
8. James Brooks (D)
9. Fernando Wood (D)
10. Clarkson N. Potter (D)
11. George W. Greene (D), until February 17, 1870
- Charles H. Van Wyck (R), from February 17, 1870
12. John H. Ketcham (R)
13. John A. Griswold (D)
14. Stephen L. Mayham (D)
15. Adolphus H. Tanner (R)
16. Orange Ferriss (R)
17. William A. Wheeler (R)
18. Stephen Sanford (R)
19. Charles Knapp (R)
20. Addison H. Laflin (R)
21. Alexander H. Bailey (R)
22. John C. Churchill (R)
23. Dennis McCarthy (R)
24. George W. Cowles (R)
25. William H. Kelsey (R)
26. Giles W. Hotchkiss (R)
27. Hamilton Ward, Sr. (R)
28. Noah Davis (R), until July 15, 1870
- Charles H. Holmes (R), from December 6, 1870
29. John Fisher (R)
30. David S. Bennett (R)
31. Porter Sheldon (R)

North Carolina

1. Clinton L. Cobb (R)
2. David Heaton (R), until June 25, 1870
- Joseph Dixon (R), from December 5, 1870
3. Oliver H. Dockery (R)
4. John T. Deweese (R), until February 28, 1870
- John Manning, Jr. (D), from December 7, 1870
5. Israel G. Lash (R)
6. Francis E. Shober (D)
7. Alexander H. Jones (R)

Ohio

1. Peter W. Strader (D)
2. Job E. Stevenson (R)
3. Robert C. Schenck (R), until January 5, 1871
4. William Lawrence (R)
5. William Mungen (D)
6. John A. Smith (R)
7. James J. Winans (R)
8. John Beatty (R)
9. Edward F. Dickinson (D)
10. Truman H. Hoag (D), until February 5, 1870
- Erasmus D. Peck (R), from April 23, 1870
11. John T. Wilson (R)
12. Philadelph Van Trump (D)
13. George W. Morgan (D)
14. Martin Welker (R)
15. Eliakim H. Moore (R)
16. John Bingham (R)
17. Jacob A. Ambler (R)
18. William H. Upson (R)
19. James A. Garfield (R)

Oregon

At-large. Joseph S. Smith (D)

Pennsylvania

1. Samuel J. Randall (D)
2. Charles O'Neill (R)
3. John Moffet (D), until April 9, 1869
- Leonard Myers (R), from April 9, 1869
4. William D. Kelley (R)
5. John R. Reading (D), until April 13, 1870
- Caleb N. Taylor (R), from April 13, 1870
6. John D. Stiles (D)
7. Washington Townsend (R)
8. J. Lawrence Getz (D)
9. Oliver J. Dickey (R)
10. Henry L. Cake (R)
11. Daniel M. Van Auken (D)
12. George W. Woodward (D)
13. Ulysses Mercur (R)
14. John B. Packer (R)
15. Richard J. Haldeman (D)
16. John Cessna (R)
17. Daniel J. Morrell (R)
18. William H. Armstrong (R)
19. Glenni W. Scofield (R)
20. Calvin W. Gilfillan (R)
21. John Covode (R), February 9, 1870 – January 11, 1871
22. James S. Negley (R)
23. Darwin Phelps (R)
24. Joseph B. Donley (R)

Rhode Island

1. Thomas Jenckes (R)
2. Nathan F. Dixon, Jr. (R)

South Carolina

1. B. Frank Whittemore (R), until February 24, 1870
- Joseph Rainey (R), from December 12, 1870
2. Christopher C. Bowen (R)
3. Solomon L. Hoge (R), from April 8, 1869
4. Alexander S. Wallace (R), from May 27, 1870

Tennessee

Texas

1. George W. Whitmore (R), from March 30, 1870
2. John C. Conner (D), from March 31, 1870
3. William T. Clark (R), from March 31, 1870
4. Edward Degener (R), from March 31, 1870

Vermont

Virginia

1. Richard S. Ayer (R), from January 31, 1870
2. James H. Platt, Jr. (R), from January 26, 1870
3. Charles H. Porter (R), from January 26, 1870
4. George Booker (C), from January 26, 1870
5. Robert Ridgway (C), January 27, 1870 – October 16, 1870
- Richard T. W. Duke (C), from November 8, 1870
6. William Milnes, Jr. (C), from January 27, 1870
7. Lewis McKenzie (C), from January 31, 1870
8. James King Gibson (C), from January 28, 1870

West Virginia

Wisconsin

1. Halbert E. Paine (R)
2. Benjamin F. Hopkins (R), until January 1, 1870
- David Atwood (R), from February 23, 1870
3. Amasa Cobb (R)
4. Charles A. Eldredge (D)
5. Philetus Sawyer (R)
6. Cadwallader C. Washburn (R)

Non-voting members

Arizona Territory. Richard C. McCormick (D)
Colorado Territory. Allen A. Bradford (R)
Dakota Territory. Solomon L. Spink (R)
Idaho Territory. Jacob K. Shafer (D)
Montana Territory. James M. Cavanaugh (D)
New Mexico Territory. J. Francisco Chaves (R)
Utah Territory. William H. Hooper (D)
Washington Territory. Selucius Garfielde (R)
Wyoming Territory. Stephen F. Nuckolls (D), from December 6, 1869

Changes in membership

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

Senate

replacements: 6
- Democratic: 1 seat net gain
- Republican: 1 seat net loss
deaths: 2
resignations:2
interim appointments: 2
seats of newly re-admitted states: 8
Total seats with changes: 14

State (class)	Former senator	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's installation
Virginia (1)	Vacant	Virginia re-admitted to the Union	John F. Lewis (R)	January 26, 1870
Virginia (2)	Vacant	Virginia re-admitted to the Union	John W. Johnston (D)	January 26, 1870
Mississippi (1)	Vacant	Mississippi re-admitted to the Union	Adelbert Ames (R)	February 23, 1870
Mississippi (2)	Vacant	Mississippi re-admitted to the Union	Hiram R Revels (R)	February 23, 1870
Texas (1)	Vacant	Texas re-admitted to the Union	James W. Flanagan (R)	March 30, 1870
Texas (2)	Vacant	Texas re-admitted to the Union	Morgan C. Hamilton (R)	March 31, 1870
Georgia (3)	Vacant	Georgia re-admitted to the Union	Joshua Hill (R)	February 1, 1871
Georgia (2)	Vacant	Georgia re-admitted to the Union	Homer V. M. Miller (D)	February 28, 1871
Maine (2)	William P. Fessenden (R)	Died September 8, 1869	Lot M. Morrill (R)	October 30, 1869
Iowa (2)	James W. Grimes (R)	Resigned December 6, 1869 because of failing health	James B. Howell (R)	Januuary 18, 1870
Minnesota (2)	Daniel S. Norton (R)	Died July 13, 1870	William Windom (R)	July 15, 1870
Missouri (3)	Charles D. Drake (R)	Resigned December 19, 1870 after being appointed chief justice of the United States Court of Claims	Daniel T. Jewett (R)	December 19, 1870
Missouri (3)	Daniel T. Jewett (R)	Successor elected January 20, 1871	Francis P. Blair, Jr. ]] (D)	January 20, 1871
Minnesota (2)	William Windom (R)	Successor elected January 22, 1871	Ozora P. Stearns (R)	January 22, 1871

House of Representatives

replacements: 14
- Democratic: 3 seat net loss
- Republican: 3 seat net gain
- Conservative Party of Virginia: no net change
deaths: 6
resignations: 6
contested election: 8
seats of newly re-admitted states: 17
Total seats with changes: 44

District	Vacator	Reason for change	Successor	Date of successor's installation
South Carolina 3rd	Vacant	Contested election with J.P. Reed. Reed was never seated. House declared Hoge entitled to seat.	Solomon L. Hoge (R)	April 8, 1869
Wyoming Territory At-large	Vacant	Territory organized in previous congress and remained vacant until December 6, 1869	Stephen F. Nuckolls (D)	December 6, 1869
Virginia 2nd	Vacant	Virginia re-admitted into the Union	James H. Platt, Jr. (R)	January 26, 1870
Virginia 3rd			Charles H. Porter (R)
Virginia 4th			George Booker (C)
Virginia 5th			Robert Ridgway (C)	January 27, 1870
Virginia 6th			William Milnes, Jr. (C)	January 27, 1870
Virginia 8th			James K. Gibson (C)	January 28, 1870
Virginia 1st			Richard S. Ayer (R)	January 31, 1870
Virginia 7th			Lewis McKenzie (C)	January 31, 1870
Pennsylvania 21st	Vacant	Contested election with Henry D. Foster. House declared neither was entitled to seat. House then declared Covode duly elected February 9, 1870	John Covode (R)	February 9, 1870
Mississippi 1st	Vacant	Mississippi re-admitted into the Union	George E. Harris (R)	February 23, 1870
Mississippi 2nd			Joseph L. Morphis (R)
Mississippi 3rd			Henry W. Barry (R)
Mississippi 5th			Legrand W. Perce (R)
Texas 1st	Vacant	Texas re-admitted into the Union	George W. Whitmore (R)	March 30, 1870
Texas 2nd			John C. Conner (D)	March 31, 1870
Texas 3rd			William T. Clark (R)
Texas 4th			Edward Degener (R)
Louisiana 4th	Vacant	Contested election with Michael Ryan. House declared neither was entitled to seat. Elected to seat thus caused	Joseph P. Newsham (R)	May 23, 1870
South Carolina 4th	Vacant	Contested election with William D. Simpson. Simpson was never seated. House declared Wallace entitled to seat.	Alexander S. Wallace (R)	May 27, 1870
Louisiana 1st	Vacant	Contested election with Louis St. Martin. House declared neither was entitled to seat. Elected to seat thus caused	J. Hale Sypher (R)	November 7, 1870
Georgia 1st	Vacant	Vacancy caused by House declaring Joseph W. Clift not entitled to seat	William W. Paine (D)	December 22, 1870
Georgia 2nd		Vacancy caused by House declaring Nelson Tift not entitled to seat	Richard H. Whiteley (R)
Georgia 3rd		Vacancy caused by House declaring William P. Edwards not entitled to seat	Marion Bethune (R)
Georgia 4th		Vacancy caused by House declaring Samuel F. Gove not entitled to seat	Jefferson F. Long (R)
Georgia 5th		Vacancy caused by House declaring Charles H. Prince not entitled to seat	Stephen A. Corker (D)
Georgia 6th		Failure to elect	William P. Price (D)
Georgia 7th		Vacancy caused by House declaring Pierce M. B. Young not entitled to seat. He was subsequently elected to fill the vacancy thus caused	Pierce M. B. Young (D)
Illinois 3rd	Elihu B. Washburne (R)	Resigned March 6, 1869 after being appointed United States Secretary of State	Horatio C. Burchard (R)	December 6, 1869
Massachusetts 7th	George S. Boutwell (R)	Resigned March 12, 1869 after being appointed United States Secretary of the Treasury	George M. Brooks (R)	November 2, 1869
Pennsylvania 3rd	John Moffet (D)	Lost contested election April 9, 1869	Leonard Myers (R)	April 9, 1869
Wisconsin 2nd	Benjamin F. Hopkins (R)	Died January 1, 1870	David Atwood (R)	February 23, 1870
Ohio 10th	Truman H. Hoag (D)	Died February 5, 1870	Erasmus D. Peck (R)	April 23, 1870
New York 11th	George W. Greene (D)	Lost contested election February 17, 1870	Charles Van Wyck (R)	February 17, 1870
South Carolina 1st	Benjamin F. Whittemore (R)	Resigned February 24, 1870 pending an investigation of certain appointments to the US Military and Naval Academies	Joseph Rainey (R)	December 12, 1870
Kentucky 3rd	Jacob Golladay (D)	Resigned February 28, 1870	Joseph H. Lewis (D)	May 10, 1870
North Carolina 4th	John T. Deweese (R)	Resigned February 28, 1870 pending an investigation of certain appointments to the US Military and Naval Academies	John Manning, Jr. (D)	December 7, 1870
Pennsylvania 5th	John R. Reading (D)	Lost contested election April 13, 1870	Caleb N. Taylor (R)	April 13, 1870
North Carolina 2nd	David Heaton (R)	Died June 25, 1870	Joseph Dixon (R)	December 5, 1870
New York 28th	Noah Davis (R)	Resigned July 15, 1870 before being appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York	Charles H. Holmes (R)	December 6, 1870
Iowa 2nd	William Smyth (R)	Died September 30, 1870	William P. Wolf (R)	December 6, 1870
Virginia 5th	Robert Ridgway (C)	Died October 16, 1870	Richard T. W. Duke (C)	November 8, 1870
Ohio 3rd	Robert C. Schenck (R)	Resigned January 5, 1871 after being appointed Minister to the Court of St. James's	Vacant	Not filled this term
Pennsylvania 21st	John Covode (R)	Died January 11, 1871	Vacant	Not filled this term
Illinois At-large	John A. Logan (R)	Resigned at end of congress March 3, 1871 after being elected to the US Senate for the following term	Vacant	Not filled this term
Michigan 4th	Thomas W. Ferry (R)	Resigned at end of congress March 3, 1871 after being elected to the US Senate for the following term	Vacant	Not filled this term

Employees

Architect of the Capitol: Edward Clark

Senate

Chaplain: John P. Newman (Methodist)
Secretary: George C. Gorham
Sergeant at Arms: George T. Brown
- John R. French, elected March 22, 1869

House of Representatives

Chaplain: John G. Butler (Presbyterian)
Clerk: Edward McPherson
Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: John M. Barclay
Doorkeeper: Otis S. Buxton
Postmaster: William S. King
Sergeant at Arms: Nehemiah G. Ordway

References

Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.