39th United States Congress

39th United States Congress
38th   40th

United States Capitol (1877)

Duration: March 4, 1865 – March 4, 1867

Senate President: Andrew Johnson (until April 15, 1865)
Vacant (from April 15, 1865)
Senate Pres. pro tem: Lafayette S. Foster
Benjamin Wade
House Speaker: Schuyler Colfax
Members: 54 Senators
193 Representatives
9 Non-voting members
Senate Majority: Republican
House Majority: Republican

Sessions
Special: March 4, 1865 – March 11, 1865
1st: December 4, 1865 – July 28, 1866
2nd: December 3, 1866 – March 4, 1867

The Thirty-ninth 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 the first month of Abraham Lincoln's fifth year as president, and the first two years of his successor, U.S. President Andrew Johnson.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

Major events

Major legislation

Constitutional amendments

States admitted

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.

Party
(Shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Republican
(R)
Unionist
(U)
Unconditional
Unionist

(UU)
End of the previous congress 10 33 3 4 50 22
Begin 9 37 1 1 48 24
End 8 41 3 2 5420
Final voting share 14.8% 75.9% 5.6% 3.7%
Beginning of the next congress 8 45 0 0 53 21

House of Representatives

During this Congress, one seat was added for the new state of Nebraska.

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority/plurality caucus)
Total
Democratic
(D)
Republican
(R)
Independent
Republican

(IR)
Unionist
(U)
Unconditional
Unionist

(UU)
Other Vacant
End of previous Congress 72 84 2 9 16 0 183 56
Begin 40 132 1 4 14 0 191 51
End 41 134 13 193 49
Final voting share 21.2% 69.9% 2.1% 6.7% 0.0%
Beginning of the next Congress 45 140 1 0 0 2 188 55

Leadership

President of the Senate
Andrew Johnson, until April 15, 1865

Senate

House of Representatives

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.

Alabama

  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

Arkansas

  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

  • 1. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

Georgia

  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

Tennessee

Texas

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant

Vermont

Virginia

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Senate President pro tempore
Lafayette S. Foster, until March 2, 1867
Senate President pro tempore
Benjamin F. Wade, from March 2, 1867

House of Representatives

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

Alabama

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant
  • 5. Vacant
  • 6. Vacant

Arkansas

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant
  • 5. Vacant
  • 6. Vacant
  • 7. Vacant

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant
  • 5. Vacant

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant
  • 5. Vacant

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant
  • 5. Vacant
  • 6. Vacant
  • 7. Vacant

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant

Tennessee

Texas

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant

Vermont

Virginia

  • 1. Vacant
  • 2. Vacant
  • 3. Vacant
  • 4. Vacant
  • 5. Vacant
  • 6. Vacant
  • 7. Vacant
  • 8. Vacant

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Non-voting members

Speaker of the House
Schuyler Colfax

Changes in membership

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

Senate

State
(class)
Vacator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation
Maryland (3) Vacant Sen. Thomas Hicks had died during previous congress.
Successor elected March 9, 1865.
John Creswell (UU) March 9, 1865
New Jersey (2) Vacant Although elected in time for this Congress, the Senator-elect was not seated until March 15, 1865.
Senator was later removed in election dispute, see below.
John P. Stockton (D) March 15, 1865
Tennessee (2) Vacant Tennessee re-admitted to the Union.
Senators were elected July 24, 1866.
Joseph S. Fowler (U) July 24, 1866
Tennessee (1) David T. Patterson (U) July 28, 1866
Iowa (3) James Harlan (R) Resigned May 15, 1865 after being appointed U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Successor elected January 13, 1866.
Samuel J. Kirkwood (R) January 13, 1866
Vermont (3) Jacob Collamer (R) Died November 9, 1865.
Successor was appointed November 21, 1865 to continue the term.
Appointee was elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.[2]
Luke P. Poland (R) November 21, 1865
New Jersey (2) John P. Stockton (D) Disputed election led to Senate vacating the seat March 27, 1866.
Successor elected September 19, 1866.
Alexander G. Cattell (R) September 16, 1866
Vermont (1) Solomon Foot (R) Died March 28, 1866.
Successor was appointed April 3, 1866 to continue the term.
Appointee was elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.[2]
George F. Edmunds (R) April 3, 1866
Kansas (2) James H. Lane (R) Died July 11, 1866 after being mortally wounded from a self-inflicted gunshot 10 days earlier
Successor was appointed July 19, 1866 to continue the term.
Appointee was elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.[3]
Edmund G. Ross (R) July 19, 1866
New Hampshire (3) Daniel Clark (R) Resigned July 27, 1866 after being appointed Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire.
Successor was appointed August 31, 1866.
George G. Fogg (R) August 31, 1866
New Jersey (1) William Wright (D) Died November 1, 1866.
Successor was appointed November 12, 1866.
Appointee was elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.[4]
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R) November 12, 1866
Nebraska (1) New seat Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Thomas Tipton (R) March 1, 1867
Nebraska (2) John M. Thayer (R)

House of Representatives

District Vacator Reason for change Successor Date successor
seated
Tennessee 1st Vacant Tennessee re-admitted into the Union Nathaniel G. Taylor (U) July 24, 1866
Tennessee 2nd Horace Maynard (UU)
Tennessee 3rd William B. Stokes (UU)
Tennessee 4th Edmund Cooper (U)
Tennessee 5th William B. Campbell (U)
Tennessee 6th Samuel M. Arnell (UU)
Tennessee 7th Isaac R. Hawkins (U)
Tennessee 8th John W. Leftwich (UU)
Maryland 2nd Edwin H. Webster (UU) Resigned some time in July, 1865 after being appointed Collector of Customs for the port of Baltimore John L. Thomas, Jr. (UU) December 4, 1865
New York 16th Orlando Kellogg (R) Died August 24, 1865 Robert S. Hale (R) December 3, 1865
Massachusetts 6th Daniel W. Gooch (R) Resigned September 1, 1865 after being appointed Navy Agent for the port of Boston Nathaniel P. Banks (R) December 4, 1865
Pennsylvania 16th Alexander H. Coffroth (D) Lost contested election February 19, 1866 William H. Koontz (R) July 18, 1866
Indiana 7th Daniel W. Voorhees (D) Lost contested election February 23, 1866 Henry D. Washburn (R) February 23, 1866
New York 8th James Brooks (D) Lost contested election April 7, 1866 William E. Dodge (R) April 7, 1866
New York 3rd James Humphrey (R) Died June 16, 1866 John W. Hunter (D) December 4, 1866
Kentucky 6th Green C. Smith (UU) Resigned some time in July, 1866 after being appointed Governor of the Montana Territory. Andrew H. Ward (D) December 3, 1866
Kentucky 5th Lovell Rousseau (UU) Resigned July 21, 1866 after being reprimanded for his assault of Iowa Rep. Josiah B. Grinnell. Was re-elected to fill his own seat. Lovell Rousseau (UU) December 3, 1866
Kentucky 3rd Henry Grider (D) Died September 7, 1866 Elijah Hise (D) December 3, 1866
Pennsylvania 11th Philip Johnson (D) Died January 29, 1867 Vacant Not filled this term
Nebraska Territory At-large Phineas Hitchcock (R) Nebraska achieved statehood March 1, 1867 District eliminated
Nebraska At-large New State Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Seat remained vacant until March 2, 1867 Turner M. Marquette (R) March 2, 1867

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

References

  1. "The Constitution: Amendments 11–27". National Archives. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  2. 1 2 Byrd & Wolff, page 176
  3. Byrd & Wolff, page 108
  4. Byrd & Wolff, page 142

Further reading

External links

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