44th United States Congress

44th United States Congress
Brady-Handy Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) · Public domain · source
Congress	44th
Session year	1875
Session start	December 6, 1875
Session end	March 4, 1877
House seats	293
Senate seats	76
House majORITY	Democratic
Senate majORITY	Republican

44th United States Congress. The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from December 6, 1875, to March 4, 1877, during the presidencies of Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1870 United States Census and was conducted according to the provisions of the Apportionment Acts of 1792 and Apportionment Act of 1850, with each member representing a district in states such as New York, California, and Texas.

● Composition

The 44th Congress consisted of 76 senators, with 46 Republicans, 28 Democrats, and 2 Independents, including notable figures such as Roscoe Conkling and Justin Smith Morrill. The House of Representatives had 293 members, comprising 182 Democrats, 103 Republicans, and 8 Independents, with prominent members including Michael C. Kerr, James A. Garfield, and James G. Blaine. The Congress also included representatives from newly admitted states such as Colorado and Nevada.

● Major Events

During its tenure, the 44th Congress dealt with significant events, including the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the Hayes-Tilden election dispute, and the Compromise of 1877. The Congress also addressed issues related to the Reconstruction Era, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and the Ku Klux Klan Act, which were influenced by the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States in cases like United States v. Cruikshank and United States v. Reese. Additionally, the Congress considered legislation related to the Indian Appropriation Act and the Desert Land Act, affecting areas such as the Dakota Territory and the Arizona Territory.

● Party Summary

The party composition of the 44th Congress was characterized by a Democratic majority in the House and a Republican majority in the Senate. Notable Democrats included Samuel J. Randall, John Griffin Carlisle, and William R. Morrison, while prominent Republicans included James G. Blaine, Roscoe Conkling, and Oliver P. Morton. The Congress also saw the participation of Independents like Benjamin F. Butler and George W. Julian, who represented states such as Massachusetts and Indiana.

● Membership Changes

Membership changes occurred during the 44th Congress due to various reasons, including resignations, deaths, and special elections. For example, Robert M. La Follette, Sr. was elected to the House, while John Sherman and George F. Edmunds continued to serve in the Senate. The Congress also experienced changes in representation from states like Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, with new members such as Richard J. Oglesby and William B. Allison.

● Leadership

The leadership of the 44th Congress included Michael C. Kerr as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Thomas W. Ferry as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, and Chester A. Arthur as the Collector of the Port of New York. Other notable leaders were Rutherford B. Hayes, who later became the 19th President of the United States, and James A. Garfield, who served as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and later became the 20th President of the United States.

● Elections

The elections for the 44th Congress were held in 1874, with the Democratic Party gaining control of the House and the Republican Party maintaining control of the Senate. Notable elections included those in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, which were influenced by the Liberal Republican Party and the Greenback Party. The Congress also saw the participation of African American representatives like Blanche K. Bruce and Hiram Revels, who were elected from states such as Mississippi and South Carolina.