40th United States Congress
| 40th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
39th ← → 41st | |
United States Capitol (1877) | |
March 4, 1867 – March 4, 1869 | |
| Members | 68 senators 226 representatives 8 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Republican |
| Senate President | Vacant |
| House majority | Republican |
| House Speaker | Schuyler Colfax (R) Theodore M. Pomeroy (R) |
| Sessions | |
| Special: April 1, 1867 – April 20, 1867 1st: March 4, 1867 – December 1, 1867 2nd: December 2, 1867 – November 10, 1868 3rd: December 7, 1868 – March 4, 1869 | |
The 40th 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, 1867, to March 4, 1869, during the third and fourth years of Andrew Johnson'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. In the Senate, the Republicans had the largest majority a party has ever held.
This Congress was held during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, and South Carolina were readmitted to representation in both the Senate and the House. Georgia was readmitted with representation in the House only. The Republican majority passed an amendment that became the 15th Amendment for voting rights.