The Green Papers
The Green Papers
Political Party Breakdown of the
41st Congress of the United States, 1869-1871

Home ❯ Political Party Breakdown ❯ 41st Congress, 1869-1871

Boldface (with superscript C) numbers indicate the majority Party in each house. Red (with superscript P) numbers (boldface or not) indicate the Party of the President in any event.

President Party Congress United States Senate House of Representatives
 DemocratRepublicanothervacanciesDemocratRepublicanother
GrantRepublican41st 1869-1871956CP18   

41ST CONGRESS- IN GENERAL

3 States- all former constituent States of the defunct Confederate States of America- remained totally "unreconstructed" as of the start of the 41st Congress [4 March 1869]; these were readmitted to representation in Congress- with the right to have 2 Senators and the numbers of Congressmen noted below seated in each respective house of that Congress- as follows:

  • 26 January 1870: Commonwealth of VIRGINIA
    (8 Congressmen [though the Commonwealth claimed 9: see below])
  • 23 February 1870: State of MISSISSIPPI
    (5 Congressmen)
  • 30 March 1870: State of TEXAS
    (4 Congressmen)

as these 3 States were all readmitted to representation in Congress after the convening of the "long" session of the 41st Congress on 6 December 1869, the 6 Senators from these 3 States are NOT counted among those elected to the Senate of the 41st Congress; neither are the 17 Congressmen from these 3 States counted among those elected to the House of Representatives in that Congress.
[NOTE: For the special situation involving the State of GEORGIA, partially "reconstructed" at the start of the 41st Congress [4 March 1869], see the relevant notes under each house of Congress below]

41ST CONGRESS- SENATE

The SENATE of the 41st Congress included 1 Senator from other than the two Major Parties as elected by his respective State Legislature, as follows:

  • 1 Unionist-
    • Senator Joseph S. Fowler of TENNESSEE (Class 2)

The SENATE of the 41st Congress also included 8 vacancies: 6 from the 3 former Confederate States not yet readmitted to representation in the Senate as noted under "IN GENERAL" above, plus 2 from the State of GEORGIA: even though its 7 Congressmen were re-entitled to seats in the House through action taken in the preceding Congress, GEORGIA was not formally readmitted to full representation in Congress until 15 July 1870- after which date the State's 2 Senators were also re-entitled to be seated; as a result, the Senators from the State of GEORGIA are also NOT counted among those elected to the Senate of the 41st Congress.

Modified .