The 42nd 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, 1871, to March 4, 1873, during the third and fourth years of Ulysses S. Grant'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.

Major events

Major legislation

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

Party (shading shows control)TotalVacant
Democratic (D)Liberal Republican (LR)Republican (R)
End of previous congress12062740
Begin14155704
End1754722
Final voting share23.6%1.4%75.0%
Beginning of next congress19350722

House of Representatives

Party (shading shows control)TotalVacant
Democratic (D)Independent Republican (IR)Liberal Republican (LR)Republican (R)Other
End of previous congress670016952412
Begin1021313502412
End1064130
Final voting share44.0%0.4%1.7%53.9%0.0%
Beginning of next congress910418962902

Leadership

President of the Senate Schuyler Colfax

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.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 re-election in 1874; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1876; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1872.

Alabama ▌2. George Goldthwaite (D) ▌3. George E. Spencer (R) Arkansas ▌2. Powell Clayton (R) ▌3. Benjamin F. Rice (R) California ▌1. Eugene Casserly (D) ▌3. Cornelius Cole (R) Connecticut ▌1. William A. Buckingham (R) ▌3. Orris S. Ferry (R) Delaware ▌1. Thomas F. Bayard Sr. (D) ▌2. Eli Saulsbury (D) Florida ▌1. Abijah Gilbert (R) ▌3. Thomas W. Osborn (R) Georgia ▌2. Thomas M. Norwood (D), from November 14, 1871 ▌3. Joshua Hill (R) Illinois ▌2. John A. Logan (R) ▌3. Lyman Trumbull (LR) Indiana ▌1. Daniel D. Pratt (R) ▌3. Oliver H. P. T. Morton (R) Iowa ▌2. George G. Wright (R) ▌3. James Harlan (R) Kansas ▌2. Alexander Caldwell (R) ▌3. Samuel C. Pomeroy (R) Kentucky ▌2. John W. Stevenson (D) ▌3. Garrett Davis (D), until September 22, 1872 ▌Willis B. Machen (D), from September 27, 1872 Louisiana ▌2. J. Rodman West (R) ▌3. William P. Kellogg (R), until November 1, 1872 Maine ▌1. Hannibal Hamlin (R) ▌2. Lot M. Morrill (R) Maryland ▌1. William T. Hamilton (D) ▌3. George Vickers (D) Massachusetts ▌1. Charles Sumner (R) ▌2. Henry Wilson (R), until March 3, 1873 Michigan ▌1. Zachariah Chandler (R) ▌2. Thomas W. Ferry (R) Minnesota ▌1. Alexander Ramsey (R) ▌2. William Windom (R) Mississippi ▌1. Adelbert Ames (R) ▌2. James L. Alcorn (R), from December 1, 1871Missouri ▌1. Carl Schurz (R) ▌3. Francis P. Blair Jr. (D) Nebraska ▌1. Thomas Tipton (R) ▌2. Phineas Hitchcock (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 ▌1. John P. Stockton (D) ▌2. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R) New York ▌1. Reuben E. Fenton (R) ▌3. Roscoe Conkling (R) North Carolina ▌2. Matt W. Ransom (D), from January 30, 1872 ▌3. John Pool (R) Ohio ▌1. Allen G. Thurman (D) ▌3. John Sherman (R) Oregon ▌2. James K. Kelly (D) ▌3. Henry W. Corbett (R) Pennsylvania ▌1. John Scott (R) ▌3. Simon Cameron (R) Rhode Island ▌1. William Sprague IV (R) ▌2. Henry B. Anthony (R) South Carolina ▌2. Thomas J. Robertson (R) ▌3. Frederick A. Sawyer (R) Tennessee ▌1. William G. Brownlow (R) ▌2. Henry Cooper (D) Texas ▌1. James W. Flanagan (R) ▌2. Morgan C. Hamilton (R) Vermont ▌1. George F. Edmunds (R) ▌3. Justin S. Morrill (R) Virginia ▌1. John F. Lewis (R) ▌2. John W. Johnston (D), from March 15, 1871 West Virginia ▌1. Arthur I. Boreman (R) ▌2. Henry G. Davis (D) Wisconsin ▌1. Matthew H. Carpenter (R) ▌3. Timothy O. Howe (R)Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 42nd Congress in March 1871. The green stripes in Illinois represent Liberal Republican Lyman Trumbull. 2 Democrats 1 Democrat and 1 Republican 2 Republicans TerritoriesSenate President pro tempore Henry B. Anthony

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

House seats by party holding plurality in state
Alabama ▌1. Benjamin S. Turner (R) ▌2. Charles W. Buckley (R) ▌3. William A. Handley (D) ▌4. Charles Hays (R) ▌5. Peter M. Dox (D) ▌6. Joseph H. Sloss (D) Arkansas ▌1. James M. Hanks (D) ▌2. Oliver P. Snyder (R) ▌3. John Edwards (LR), until February 9, 1872 ▌Thomas Boles (R), from February 9, 1872 California ▌1. Sherman O. Houghton (R) ▌2. Aaron A. Sargent (R) ▌3. John M. Coghlan (R) Connecticut ▌1. Julius L. Strong (R), until September 7, 1872 ▌Joseph R. Hawley (R), from December 2, 1872 ▌2. Stephen W. Kellogg (R) ▌3. Henry H. Starkweather (R) ▌4. William H. Barnum (D) Delaware ▌At-large. Benjamin T. Biggs (D) Florida ▌At-large. Josiah T. Walls (R), until January 29, 1873 ▌Silas L. Niblack (D), from January 29, 1873 Georgia ▌1. Archibald T. MacIntyre (D) ▌2. Richard H. Whiteley (R) ▌3. John S. Bigby (R) ▌4. Thomas J. Speer (R), until August 18, 1872 ▌Erasmus W. Beck (D), from December 2, 1872 ▌5. Dudley M. Du Bose (D) ▌6. William P. Price (D) ▌7. Pierce M. B. Young (D) Illinois ▌1. Charles B. Farwell (R) ▌2. John F. Farnsworth (R) ▌3. Horatio C. Burchard (R) ▌4. John B. Hawley (R) ▌5. Bradford N. Stevens (D) ▌6. Burton C. Cook (R), until August 26, 1871 ▌Henry Snapp (R), from December 4, 1871 ▌7. Jesse H. Moore (R) ▌8. James C. Robinson (D) ▌9. Thompson W. McNeely (D) ▌10. Edward Y. Rice (D) ▌11. Samuel S. Marshall (D) ▌12. John B. Hay (R) ▌13. John M. Crebs (D) ▌At-large. John L. Beveridge (R), November 7, 1871 – January 4, 1873 Indiana ▌1. William E. Niblack (D) ▌2. Michael C. Kerr (D) ▌3. William S. Holman (D) ▌4. Jeremiah M. Wilson (R) ▌5. John Coburn (R) ▌6. Daniel W. Voorhees (D) ▌7. Mahlon D. Manson (D) ▌8. James N. Tyner (R) ▌9. John P. C. Shanks (R) ▌10. William Williams (R) ▌11. Jasper Packard (R) Iowa ▌1. George W. McCrary (R) ▌2. Aylett R. Cotton (R) ▌3. William G. Donnan (R) ▌4. Madison M. Walden (R) ▌5. Francis W. Palmer (R) ▌6. Jackson Orr (R) Kansas ▌At-large. David P. Lowe (R) Kentucky ▌1. Edward Crossland (D) ▌2. Henry D. McHenry (D) ▌3. Joseph H. Lewis (D) ▌4. William B. Read (D) ▌5. Boyd Winchester (D) ▌6. William E. Arthur (D) ▌7. James B. Beck (D) ▌8. George M. Adams (D) ▌9. John M. Rice (D) Louisiana ▌1. J. Hale Sypher (R) ▌2. Lionel A. Sheldon (R) ▌3. Chester B. Darrall (R) ▌4. James McCleery (R), until November 5, 1871 ▌Alexander Boarman (LR), from December 3, 1872 ▌5. Frank Morey (R) Maine ▌1. John Lynch (R) ▌2. William P. Frye (R) ▌3. James G. Blaine (R) ▌4. John A. Peters (R) ▌5. Eugene Hale (R) Maryland ▌1. Samuel Hambleton (D) ▌2. Stevenson Archer (D) ▌3. Thomas Swann (D) ▌4. John Ritchie (D) ▌5. William M. Merrick (D) Massachusetts ▌1. James Buffington (R) ▌2. Oakes Ames (R) ▌3. Ginery Twichell (R) ▌4. Samuel Hooper (R) ▌5. Benjamin F. Butler (R) ▌▌6. Nathaniel P. Banks (R) then (LR) ▌7. George M. Brooks (R), until May 13, 1872 ▌Constantine C. Esty (R), from December 2, 1872 ▌8. George F. Hoar (R) ▌9. William B. Washburn (R), until December 5, 1871 ▌Alvah Crocker (R), from January 2, 1872 ▌10. Henry L. Dawes (R) Michigan ▌1. Henry Waldron (R) ▌2. William L. Stoughton (R) ▌3. Austin Blair (R) ▌4. Wilder D. Foster (R), from December 4, 1871 ▌5. Omar D. Conger (R) ▌6. Jabez G. Sutherland (D) Minnesota ▌1. Mark H. Dunnell (R) ▌2. John T. Averill (R) Mississippi ▌1. George E. Harris (R) ▌2. Joseph L. Morphis (R) ▌3. Henry W. Barry (R) ▌4. George C. McKee (R) ▌5. Legrand W. Perce (R) Missouri ▌1. Erastus Wells (D) ▌2. Gustavus A. Finkelnburg (LR) ▌3. James R. McCormick (D) ▌4. Harrison E. Havens (R) ▌5. Samuel S. Burdett (R) ▌6. Abram Comingo (D) ▌7. Isaac C. Parker (R) ▌8. James G. Blair (LR) ▌9. Andrew King (D) Nebraska ▌At-large. John Taffe (R) Nevada ▌At-large. Charles W. Kendall (D) New Hampshire ▌1. Ellery A. Hibbard (D) ▌2. Samuel N. Bell (D) ▌3. Hosea W. Parker (D)New Jersey ▌1. John W. Hazelton (R) ▌2. Samuel C. Forker (D) ▌3. John T. Bird (D) ▌4. John Hill (R) ▌5. George A. Halsey (R) New York ▌1. Dwight Townsend (D) ▌2. Thomas Kinsella (D) ▌3. Henry W. Slocum (D) ▌4. Robert Roosevelt (D) ▌5. William R. Roberts (D) ▌6. Samuel S. Cox (D) ▌7. Smith Ely Jr. (D) ▌8. James Brooks (D) ▌9. Fernando Wood (D) ▌10. Clarkson N. Potter (D) ▌11. Charles St. John (R) ▌12. John H. Ketcham (R) ▌13. Joseph H. Tuthill (D) ▌14. Eli Perry (D) ▌15. Joseph M. Warren (D) ▌16. John Rogers (D) ▌17. William A. Wheeler (R) ▌18. John M. Carroll (D) ▌19. Elizur H. Prindle (R) ▌20. Clinton L. Merriam (R) ▌21. Ellis H. Roberts (R) ▌22. William E. Lansing (R) ▌23. R. Holland Duell (R) ▌24. John E. Seeley (R) ▌25. William H. Lamport (R) ▌26. Milo Goodrich (R) ▌27. H. Boardman Smith (R) ▌28. Freeman Clarke (R) ▌29. Seth Wakeman (R) ▌30. William Williams (D) ▌31. Walter L. Sessions (R) North Carolina ▌1. Clinton L. Cobb (R) ▌2. Charles R. Thomas (R) ▌3. Alfred M. Waddell (D) ▌4. Sion H. Rogers (D) ▌5. James M. Leach (D) ▌6. Francis E. Shober (D) ▌7. James C. Harper (D) Ohio ▌1. Aaron F. Perry (R), until July 14, 1872 ▌Ozro J. Dodds (D), from October 9, 1872 ▌2. Job E. Stevenson (R) ▌3. Lewis D. Campbell (D) ▌4. John F. McKinney (D) ▌5. Charles N. Lamison (D) ▌6. John A. Smith (R) ▌7. Samuel Shellabarger (R) ▌8. John Beatty (R) ▌9. Charles Foster (R) ▌10. Erasmus D. Peck (R) ▌11. John T. Wilson (R) ▌12. Philadelph Van Trump (D) ▌13. George W. Morgan (D) ▌14. James Monroe (R) ▌15. William P. Sprague (R) ▌16. John Bingham (R) ▌17. Jacob A. Ambler (R) ▌18. William H. Upson (R) ▌19. James A. Garfield (R) Oregon ▌At-large. James H. Slater (D) Pennsylvania ▌1. Samuel J. Randall (D) ▌2. John V. Creely (IR) ▌3. Leonard Myers (R) ▌4. William D. Kelley (R) ▌5. Alfred C. Harmer (R) ▌6. Ephraim L. Acker (D) ▌7. Washington Townsend (R) ▌8. J. Lawrence Getz (D) ▌9. Oliver J. Dickey (R) ▌10. John W. Killinger (R) ▌11. John B. Storm (D) ▌12. Lazarus D. Shoemaker (R) ▌13. Ulysses Mercur (R), until December 2, 1872 ▌Frank C. Bunnell (R), from December 24, 1872 ▌14. John B. Packer (R) ▌15. Richard J. Haldeman (D) ▌16. Benjamin F. Meyers (D) ▌17. R. Milton Speer (D) ▌18. Henry Sherwood (D) ▌19. Glenni W. Scofield (R) ▌20. Samuel Griffith (D) ▌21. Henry D. Foster (D) ▌22. James S. Negley (R) ▌23. Ebenezer McJunkin (R) ▌24. William McClelland (D) Rhode Island ▌1. Benjamin T. Eames (R) ▌2. James M. Pendleton (R) South Carolina ▌1. Joseph Rainey (R) ▌2. Robert C. De Large (R), until January 24, 1873; vacant thereafter ▌3. Robert B. Elliott (R) ▌4. Alexander S. Wallace (R) Tennessee ▌1. Roderick R. Butler (R) ▌2. Horace Maynard (R) ▌3. Abraham E. Garrett (D) ▌4. John M. Bright (D) ▌5. Edward I. Golladay (D) ▌6. Washington C. Whitthorne (D) ▌7. Robert P. Caldwell (D) ▌8. William W. Vaughan (D) Texas ▌1. William S. Herndon (D) ▌2. John C. Conner (D) ▌3. William T. Clark (R), until May 13, 1872 ▌Dewitt C. Giddings (D), from May 13, 1872 ▌4. John Hancock (D) Vermont ▌1. Charles W. Willard (R) ▌2. Luke P. Poland (R) ▌3. Worthington C. Smith (R) Virginia ▌1. John Critcher (D) ▌2. James H. Platt Jr. (R) ▌3. Charles H. Porter (R) ▌4. William H. H. Stowell (R) ▌5. Richard T. W. Duke (D) ▌6. John T. Harris (D) ▌7. Elliott M. Braxton (D) ▌8. William Terry (D) West Virginia ▌1. John J. Davis (D) ▌2. James C. McGrew (R) ▌3. Frank Hereford (D) Wisconsin ▌1. Alexander Mitchell (D) ▌2. Gerry W. Hazelton (R) ▌3. J. Allen Barber (R) ▌4. Charles A. Eldredge (D) ▌5. Philetus Sawyer (R) ▌6. Jeremiah M. Rusk (R) Non-voting members ▌Arizona Territory. Richard C. McCormick (D) ▌Colorado Territory. Jerome B. Chaffee (R) ▌Dakota Territory. Moses K. Armstrong (D) ▌District of Columbia. Norton P. Chipman (R), from April 21, 1871 ▌Idaho Territory. Samuel A. Merritt (D) ▌Montana Territory. William H. Clagett (R) ▌New Mexico Territory. José Manuel Gallegos (D) ▌Utah Territory. William H. Hooper (D) ▌Washington Territory. Selucius Garfielde (R) ▌Wyoming Territory. William T. Jones (R)House seats by party holding plurality in state 80+% to 100% Democratic 80+% to 100% Republican 60+% to 80% Democratic 60+% to 80% Republican Up to 60% Democratic Up to 60% Republican Speaker of the House James G. Blaine
80+% to 100% Democratic80+% to 100% Republican
60+% to 80% Democratic60+% to 80% Republican
Up to 60% DemocraticUp to 60% Republican

Changes in membership

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

Senate

  • Replacements: 0 Democratic: no net change Republican: no net change
  • Deaths: 0
  • Resignations: 2
  • Contested elections: 0
  • Total seats with changes: 4
Senate changes
State (class)Vacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's formal installation
Virginia (2)VacantLegislature had failed to elect. Previous incumbent re-elected March 15, 1871.John W. Johnston (D)March 15, 1871
Georgia (2)VacantFoster Blodgett presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected. Successor elected November 14, 1871.Thomas M. Norwood (D)November 14, 1871
Mississippi (2)VacantDelayed taking seat in order to serve as Governor of MississippiJames L. Alcorn (R)December 1, 1871
North Carolina (2)VacantLegislature had failed to elect. Successor elected January 30, 1872.Matt W. Ransom (D)January 30, 1872
Kentucky (3)Garrett Davis (D)Died September 22, 1872. Successor appointed September 27, 1872. Appointee was later elected January 21, 1873, to finish the term.Willis B. Machen (D)September 27, 1872
Louisiana (3)William P. Kellogg (R)Resigned November 1, 1872, after being elected Governor of LouisianaVacantNot filled this Congress
Massachusetts (2)Henry Wilson (R)Resigned March 3, 1873, after being elected U.S. Vice PresidentVacantNot filled this Congress

House of Representatives

House changes
DistrictVacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's formal installation
District of Columbia At-largeNew seatDistrict of Columbia's At-large district created March 4, 1871, and remained vacant until April 21, 1871Norton P. Chipman (R)April 21, 1871
Illinois At-largeVacantRep. John A. Logan resigned at the end of the previous congress after being elected to the US SenateJohn L. Beveridge (R)November 7, 1871
Michigan 4thVacantRep. Thomas W. Ferry resigned at the end of the previous congress after being elected to the US SenateWilder D. Foster (R)December 4, 1871
Illinois 6thBurton C. Cook (R)Resigned August 26, 1871Henry Snapp (R)December 4, 1871
Louisiana 4thJames McCleery (R)Died November 5, 1871Alexander Boarman (LR)December 3, 1872
Massachusetts 9thWilliam B. Washburn (R)Resigned December 5, 1871, after being elected Governor of MassachusettsAlvah Crocker (R)January 2, 1872
Arkansas 3rdJohn Edwards (LR)Lost contested election February 9, 1872Thomas Boles (R)February 9, 1872
Massachusetts 7thGeorge M. Brooks (R)Resigned May 13, 1872, after becoming judge of probate for Middlesex CountyConstantine C. Esty (R)December 2, 1872
Texas 3rdWilliam T. Clark (R)Lost contested election May 13, 1872Dewitt C. Giddings (D)December 13, 1872
Ohio 1stAaron F. Perry (R)Resigned July 14, 1872Ozro J. Dodds (D)October 9, 1872
Georgia 4thThomas J. Speer (R)Died August 18, 1872Erasmus W. Beck (D)December 2, 1872
Connecticut 1stJulius L. Strong (R)Died September 7, 1872Joseph R. Hawley (R)December 2, 1872
Pennsylvania 13thUlysses Mercur (R)Resigned December 2, 1872, after becoming an assoc. justice of the Supreme Court of PennsylvaniaFrank C. Bunnell (R)December 24, 1872
Illinois At-largeJohn L. Beveridge (R)Resigned January 4, 1873, after being elected Lieutenant Governor of IllinoisVacantNot filled this term
South Carolina 2ndRobert C. De Large (R)Seat declared vacant January 24, 1873, after election was contested by Christopher C. BowenVacantNot filled this term
Florida At-largeJosiah T. Walls (R)Lost contested election January 29, 1873Silas L. Niblack (D)January 29, 1873

Committees

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

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  • Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
  • 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.

External links

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