38th United States Congress

The 38th 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, 1863, to March 4, 1865, during the last two years of President Abraham Lincoln's first term in office. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1860 United States census. The Senate had a Republican majority, and the House of Representatives had a Republican plurality; Republicans controlled the House by sharing a coalition with Unconditional Unionists.

Major events

American Civil War, which had started in 1861, continued through this Congress and ended later in 1865
January 8, 1863: Ground broken in Sacramento, California, on the construction of the First transcontinental railroad in the United States
November 19, 1863: Gettysburg Address
November 8, 1864: President Abraham Lincoln is reelected, defeating George McClellan.

Major legislation

April 22, 1864: Coinage Act of 1864, Sess. 1, ch. 66,
June 25, 1864: Washington County Public Schools Act ("An Act to provide for the Public Instruction of Youth in the County of Washington, District of Columbia, and for other Purposes"), Sess. 1, ch. 156,
June 30, 1864: Yosemite Valley Grant Act, Sess. 1,
March 3, 1865: Freedmen's Bureau, Sess. 2, ch. 90,

Major bills not enacted

WadeÃ¢ÂÂDavis Bill passed both houses July 2, 1864, but pocket vetoed

Constitutional amendments

January 31, 1865: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery in the United States and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
Amendment was later ratified on December 6, 1865, becoming the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Treaties ratified

February 9, 1865: Chippewa Indians,

States admitted and territories organized

States

June 19, 1863: West Virginia admitted (formed from a portion of Virginia), (see also )
October 31, 1864: Nevada admitted, (see also )

Territories

May 26, 1864: Montana Territory organized, Sess. 1, ch. 95,

States in rebellion

The Confederacy fielded armies and sustained the rebellion into a second Congress, but the Union did not accept secession and secessionists were not eligible for Congress. Elections held in Missouri and Kentucky seated all members to the House and Senate for the 38th Congress. Elections held among Unionists in Virginia, Tennessee and Louisiana were marred by disruption resulting in turnouts that were so low compared with 1860, that Congress did not reseat the candidates with a majority of the votes cast.

In rebellion 1862Ã¢ÂÂ64 according to the Emancipation Proclamation were Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana (parts), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia (parts). Tennessee was not held to be in rebellion as of the end of 1862.

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

During this Congress, two seats were added for each of the new states of Nevada and West Virginia, thereby adding four new seats.

House of Representatives

Before this Congress, the 1860 United States census and resulting reapportionment changed the size of the House to 241 members. During this Congress, one seat was added for the new state of Nevada, and three seats were reapportioned from Virginia to the new state of West Virginia.

Leadership

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, 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 this Congress, requiring reelection in 1868; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1864; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1866.