1868 in the United States

1868 in the United States
Year	1868
Country	United States
Caption	Events of 1868

1868 in the United States was a year of political reconstruction, constitutional change, and social conflict following the American Civil War. Significant events included presidential politics, Congressional acts, military interventions in the South, and developments in civil rights, higher education, and infrastructure. Major figures such as Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Horatio Seymour shaped national debates while state and local events in places like Georgia (U.S. state), Louisiana, and South Carolina reflected Reconstruction tensions.

Incumbents

- President: Andrew Johnson (until March 4), Ulysses S. Grant (from March 4) - Vice President: vacant (until March 4), Schuyler Colfax (from March 4) - Chief Justice: Salmon P. Chase - Speaker of the House: Schuyler Colfax (until March 3), Galusha A. Grow (from March 4) - Congress: 40th United States Congress (until March 4), 41st United States Congress (from March 4)

Events

- January–February: Impeachment proceedings against Andrew Johnson culminate in an Impeachment of Andrew Johnson trial in the United States Senate involving figures such as Edwin M. Stanton, Edwin Stanton, Benjamin R. Curtis, and Thaddeus Stevens; the Senate vote narrowly falls short of conviction, with votes by senators including Edmund G. Ross and Joseph S. Fowler. - February 25: The Force Acts and enforcement measures debated in Congress amid disputes involving Ku Klux Klan activity in South Carolina and Mississippi; federal enforcement tensions involve Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman. - March 4: Ulysses S. Grant inaugurated as 18th President at United States Capitol; inauguration involves figures such as Schuyler Colfax, Rutherford B. Hayes (as a prominent supporter), and policy pledges concerning Reconstruction and civil rights for Freedmen. - April–May: Readmission processes for former Confederate states proceed, including debates over 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution ratification and representation for states like Arkansas, Florida, and Alabama. - July 9: The United States House of Representatives passes legislation affecting Native American policy amid conflicts involving leaders such as Red Cloud and Sitting Bull. - July 18: The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is officially declared ratified, affecting citizenship and equal protection and prompting legal challenges later heard by the Supreme Court of the United States involving justices such as Salmon P. Chase. - October–November: Presidential election campaign intensifies between Republican nominee Ulysses S. Grant and Democratic nominee Horatio Seymour, with campaign influences from New York (state), Ohio, and Pennsylvania (state) political machines. - November 3: Ulysses S. Grant wins the presidential election, defeating Horatio Seymour; electoral dynamics involve home-state influence from New York City, Illinois, and Massachusetts delegates. - Cultural and institutional events: founding and expansion of institutions such as Columbia University affiliates, medical schools linked to Johns Hopkins University precursors, and professional societies in New York City and Boston.

Ongoing events and issues

- Reconstruction era policies and enforcement continue, with disputes between Radical Republicans led by Thaddeus Stevens and Moderate Republicans including Schuyler Colfax and Lyman Trumbull. - Violence and suppression by the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, prompting federal responses debated in the United States Senate and among officials like Ulysses S. Grant and William H. Seward. - Legal and constitutional controversies from the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson and the implementation of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, with cases later appearing before the Supreme Court of the United States. - Conflicts and negotiations on Native American frontiers involving Sioux Nation, Cheyenne, Lakota leaders and United States Army commanders such as Philip Sheridan and George Crook. - Economic recovery and development in industrial centers including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Baltimore, alongside railroad expansion by companies like the Union Pacific Railroad and financial concerns involving Jay Cooke.

Births

- January 6 — Nellie Bly, journalist and industrial critic (d. 1922) - February 15 — John Burroughs, naturalist and essayist (d. 1921) - March 3 — Edwin L. Drake, oil industry pioneer (d. 1900) - May 1 — Florence Kelley, social reformer and advocate (d. 1932) - June 12 — Mary Pickford, actress and film producer (d. 1934) - July 4 — Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States (d. 1933) - August 20 — Walter Reed, physician and army surgeon (d. 1902) - September 10 — John Philip Sousa, composer and conductor (d. 1932) - October 16 — Charles Evans Hughes, jurist and statesman (d. 1948) - November 22 — Annie Jump Cannon, astronomer and classifier (d. 1941) (Notes: births list includes prominent figures associated with later American public life, science, and arts.)

Deaths

- January 17 — William H. Seward Sr. (notable statesman of an earlier generation) (b. 1801) - February 21 — Thaddeus Stevens (leading Radical Republican congressman) (b. 1792) - April 12 — Dorothea Dix (social reformer and advocate for mental health) (b. 1802) - June 5 — Albert Sidney Johnston (Confederate general; earlier Civil War figure) (b. 1803) - August 30 — Anna Dickinson (lecturer and reform advocate) (b. 1842) (Notes: listed deaths include nationally recognized reformers, legislators, and veterans whose legacies influenced postwar policy.)

Legislative and judicial actions

- Passage and enforcement debates over the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution dominate Congressional and judicial agendas, affecting representation and citizenship disputes adjudicated by the Supreme Court of the United States. - Congressional actions concerning enforcement of civil rights, including proposals influenced by Charles Sumner and Benjamin Butler, lead to federal efforts to curb Ku Klux Klan violence through enforcement legislation and military authority debates involving Ulysses S. Grant and Oliver Otis Howard. - Key judicial considerations involve the interpretation of the Reconstruction Acts and provisions tied to readmission of former Confederate states, with litigation reaching courts in Washington, D.C. and state supreme courts in Georgia (U.S. state), Louisiana, and Mississippi. - Financial legislation and railroad chartering continue in Congress, affecting enterprises such as the Union Pacific Railroad and banking discussions referencing financiers like Jay Cooke and institutions in Philadelphia and New York City.

Category:1868 in the United States